A Fresh Start
by RositaLG
Summary: Rory is given an assignment that will change her life forever. Trory!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

A/N: New Story! Matchmakers has hit a serious writer's block, and in the meantime, I've been working on this story, writing a couple paragraphs at a time, completely out of order, so if I've messed up some details, I apologize. Also, because of this sporadic writing when the muses struck, I basically have a lot of the chapters done. I just need to finish a few things here and there. I'll post them as I go. Tell me what you think.

"Hi, I'm Rory Gilmore, I'm here to interview the soldiers who arrived recently?" She showed her credentials and the nurse smiled.

"Yes. If you follow me, I'll take you to the boys."

"Alright."

"Let me tell you, those boys in there are a handful. Just between you and me, if you smile and bat your eyes, you'll get all the information you need." The nurse said with a grin. Rory nodded. So it was to be LDB behavior. Lord knows she had perfected that in the past four years.

"I'll keep that in mind." Rory entered the room with the three soldiers and the nurse left her alone.

"Hello Beautiful." The one nearest her said.

"Hi." She said, allowing herself to smile.

"What's your name?"

"Rory Gilmore, what's yours?"

"Josh Masters, at your service."

"Nice to meet you Josh." He patted the side of his bed and she sat down.

"And what can we do for you Miss Gilmore?"

"Well, honestly? I was sent here by my boss to look for a story. I'm a reporter for the Globe and my editor wanted me to do some sort of human interest piece on young vets."

"That'd be us."

"Don't let Masters steal all of your attention darlin'. I'm Drew Anderson. This unusually quiet fellow in the corner is Tristan DuGray." Rory's stared at Drew, thinking she had heard him incorrectly. Sure enough, as soon as she got her eyes to move towards the last bed, she was greeted with those familiar blue eyes she used to know so well. They were darker, grayer than they used to be, as if that playful light that used to illuminate them had died somewhat.

Tristan couldn't breathe, couldn't move, he simply smiled at the sight of her. She looked so different from what he remembered. Her hair was curly now, lighter. She definitely carried herself with a confidence that she had lacked back in school. She stood up and walked over to him. He took note of her crystal blue eyes as she reached out and grabbed his hand, careful not to touch the IV stemming from the top.

"Hey Mary." He said. His formerly cocky self had been replaced by a shy smile and his eyes reflected the sentimentality in hers. "It's been a long time."

"I didn't recognize you without the hair." She said as she ran her free hand over his scalp. He chuckled.

"I haven't had hair since the last day I saw you." The two soldiers watched the scene unfold and gave each other curious looks. He examined her face.

"Are you going to cry?" He asked, flashing back to the last time he saw her. "I'm starting to take it personally."

"I'm not." She said, wiping a small tear from her eye before it fell. "I swear." She said with a chuckle. "Hey! You promised to write." She said, getting angry with him.

"I was a little busy. You never wrote to me either."

"I tried. I didn't have your address." She said.

"I'm sorry. I hate to interrupt, but how do you two know each other?" Masters said, unable to control his curiosity any longer.

"We almost dated in high school." Rory said with a smile.

"We did not 'almost date' in high school." Tristan said in a huff. "I asked you out over and over but you always said no!"

"We would have if you didn't get shipped off to military school."

"We made out once and you started crying!"

"Because I had just broken up with my boyfriend and I felt guilty!" She turned to the audience listening raptly to her story. "The next day when I was going to explain, he showed up and said that he was leaving!" She defended herself.

"I broke into the safe because I was being self-destructive after you left in tears!"

"So you're saying it was my fault that you were stupid enough to finally get caught?"

"What if I am?" He said with a smile. It was like nothing had ever changed and he had missed feeling this alive. Both of their eyes were sparkling once again with playful mischief. Drew could definitely see some chemistry flickering between the two of them.

"You're a piece of work." She said as she rolled her eyes. He ran his free hand over hers. "But it's good to see you again." She said in that same Mary voice, the one that was honestly sincere to everyone she met.

"So I'm assuming from the way that you've latched on to each other that you're not taken then?" Drew asked. Rory glanced at Tristan and laughed. She shook her head.

"No, I dated Logan Huntzberger all through college, but when he proposed at graduation, I turned him down." The three boys all got wide-eyed at the same time. Josh whistled.

"Looks like someone's a little out of their league." He teased Tristan.

"I turned him down for a reason." Rory said. "Turns out he was a little out of my league."

"I find that very hard to believe." Tristan said, making Rory blush.

"What about you Mr. Playboy. What has being surrounded entirely by men done to your once flourishing love life?" Rory changed the subject.

"Tristan never says anything. He just sits there, and women flock to him. It's the weirdest thing I've ever seen." Josh said.

"Sounds about right." Rory said with a smile.

"But he never takes any of them home."

"Don't say never." Drew corrected him. "Just a small proportion."

"That doesn't sound right." Rory said, turning to examine Tristan's reaction.

"Why are we discussing this?" Tristan asked, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Are we embarrassing you in front of your new girlfriend?" Drew asked.

"Now, now boys. Be nice to Miss Gilmore, or your pretty faces won't get printed in the newspaper as war heroes. Do you know how many girls you could get with her help?" The nurse stuck her head in the doorway before passing on her way.

"It's true. I hold all the power." She said as she waved her notebook open. "So start spilling."

"What do you want to know?" Josh asked.

OOOOO

"When I entered the hospital, I had no idea what to expect." Josh read the story out loud for everyone. "As an avid reader, I have read my fair share of war literature: Catch-22, All Quiet on the Western Front, For Whom the Bell Tolls. Would these men be broken, worn out both psychologically and physically? When I turned the corner I was surprised by what I found. They were just like me. One was even a former classmate and two were potential friends. I began to wonder what their life would have been like if they hadn't signed up for the military."

"Don't we all." Drew said. Tristan shushed him, wanting to her more of her voice, even if it was through hearing her article.

"Would they have been my college classmates? Would we have met at a frat party? Could one of these boys have been a boyfriend to me or one of my girlfriends?" Josh stopped and stared at Tristan. "Dear God man, she's all yours."

"Keep reading." He said, annoyed at the possibility of truth in that statement.

"As I sat wondering what could have been, I realized that was the point. That these men had sacrificed that security and those relationships, both realized and unrealized, to protect us from a threat on the other side of the world that they had never even witnessed first hand. For these young men, it was a call to duty. They had fulfilled their own dreams and made their choices just as I had fulfilled my dream to go to college. The fact that anyone would voluntarily go see the things that they have seen, and do the things that they have had to do only heightens the respect that I have for them. These men are certainly brave but most of all happy, despite the fact that they are lying in a hospital bed. Our generation is known for a lot of things, but I believe that this experience proves what we have known all along. That we are more than what we appear to be." He said as he set the paper down on the edge of his bed. They all sat in silence, taking their turns imagining what their life would be like if they hadn't joined the military. They couldn't imagine anything. Tristan, on the other hand, was going back in time, to a party he hadn't thought about until last week.

OOOOO

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he glanced towards the two empty beds, thankful they were busy doing something else.

"A girl can't visit her favorite vets?" She asked. He shook his head. "Okay fine, maybe I missed spending time with you." She admitted. Apparently she was always this blunt, even when she liked you.

"Me too." He said, happy that she stopped by. "Can I just say, that was some bombshell you dropped the other day. If I could have kept it together for 24 hours…." He stopped, not wanting to think about what a mistake that was.

"You wouldn't be here, with these people. You would be in an office, with a flirting secretary and a trophy wife at home." She said, pointing out the fact that he was probably better off. He smiled.

"Maybe."

"You and I would have lasted about two seconds before you proved every one of my concerns right and we broke up."

"You think?" She nodded. "High school me was pretty stupid." He acknowledged.

"Rory! You're back!" The boys came strolling in.

"You're up! How are you feeling?"

"We'll be out of here soon. Or so they say."

"Good."

"Hey, you would know this. We were just talking about good places to get pizza. We haven't had real pizza in a long time." Rory smiled.

"This is the part of the visit where my head begins to look like a pepperoni, isn't it?" She laughed. "I could bring you a pizza. I'm allowed on the outside." She said.

"Are you serious?" Drew said.

"Of course."

"Oh my God. I mean, I know that Tristan is bed-ridden so that's the only reason I can say this but I think I love you." Josh said. She smiled.

"The works?" They both nodded frantically. "I'll be back in thirty minutes." She said as she left the room.

"That's it. You have to marry this girl." Drew said. "If you ever break up with her, I'll kill you."

"Really? Considering we're not even dating, that's a pretty big statement."

"Why was she here?" Tristan's face grew serious.

"I don't know."

"What were you two talking about?"

"How horribly my life would have turned out if we had dated back in high school." Josh and Drew just stared.

"Dude." They said in unison, shaking their heads in disappointment.

"But she did say that she couldn't stop thinking about me." He said, slightly proud of that fact.

"Well, well, well. Look who's making a comeback." As soon as Rory had left that first day, Tristan had been forced to spill his guts about their history to his friends. They were rooting for him, or so they said, but everyone knew that this wasn't exactly a normal situation. The truth was, they knew that she had no idea what they had been through, that she could never understand what Tristan was going through, so the idea of a relationship growing between the two of them, no matter how much chemistry there was, or had been in the past, well, it seemed a little ridiculous.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing

A/N: Thanks for the great reactions. This chapter is for ButterfliesandSophies who needs answers!

Today was the day. Josh and Drew were leaving. Tristan swung his legs over to the side of the bed.

"Don't get up." Drew said. "You're going to get into trouble." Tristan smiled, but stayed where he was.

"Thanks for the vacation." Josh said as he hugged his friend. "If it hadn't been for you, we would still be in that sandbox."

"If it hadn't been for you, I would be dead." Tristan pointed out.

"Yeah, about that. Thanks for not dying." Drew smiled and patted him on the back.

"When are you getting sent back?" He asked them, part of him itching to get back to his unit, the other half of him thankful that he didn't have to.

"First we have to re-enlist, and then, it's up to Uncle Sam. The rest of us will be home by then." The accident had come a few months before their ten year contract had finished, they had planned on re-enlisting together when they got back from Iraq.

"I don't know if I'm going to re-enlist." Tristan said so quietly, they weren't sure if they had heard him correctly. "I know that I said I was going to, but…" They didn't need to be told that Tristan had had a change of heart. They could see it in his eyes. He was done.

"We know." Josh said.

"Yeah, we figured you would be ready to quit after everything that happened." Drew said.

"Plus, someone has to stay here and take care of Rory." Josh suggested. "You are going to stay here and take care of Rory aren't you?"

"We'll see." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"Okay, we'll be back to visit, hopefully it won't be long before you are out of this place too and then we can actually hang out voluntarily."

"Good luck man." Drew said as he gave Tristan a hug.

"Did I miss them?" Rory came rushing through the door.

"You're just in time." Tristan said.

"Oh good." She handed them each a "Congrats" balloon with a lollipop tied to the bottom of it. "This was all they had at the gift shop. Unless you guys wanted a stuffed animal or flowers?" They both looked at each other before shaking their heads.

"This is just fine. Thanks." Drew said with a smile.

"Thanks Rory." Josh said with a hug. He gave a wave to Tristan and they both walked out the door. Rory smiled and turned her attention to Tristan.

"And then there was one." He said.

"Sad." Rory pouted, knowing that Tristan was going to be depressed without his friends to keep him company, but wasn't expecting it so soon.

"We haven't been apart since I joined them back in high school. We all went to the academy together. It's going to be strange not living in the same room as them. But it's my fault that they are here in the first place."

"What do you mean?" She asked. He sighed as she sat down next to him on the bed. "Tris, what happened?" She asked quietly. From the look on his face, she could tell that he had been waiting for the question, but that he had wanted to avoid it for as long as possible. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine…" She said quickly.

"No. It's okay. You're a reporter. I knew that you were going to ask eventually." She smiled apologetically and reached out for his hand. He smiled briefly at the gesture. "We were in a small village, just outside of our base. There was an explosion in a building that I was, well, too close to and Josh and Drew had to get me out of the rubble. That's why I have the brunt of the injuries. They each grabbed an arm and yanked me out onto the street. They saved my life. Their injuries came when the rest of the building collapsed."

"You're lucky, to have friends who care so much about you."

"It's what you do, no man left behind right?" She nodded, watching his face try and hide the guilt that he felt. "I just wish that I hadn't given them a reason to be here in the first place." Rory just put her arm around him and placed her head on his shoulder. He looked at her, surprised by the action. He fought the urge to kiss the top of her head, instead, he wrapped his arm around her as well and they sat there in grateful silence.

OOOOO

"Miss Gilmore! I'm so glad that you are here. The doctor has some good news for Tristan, you should be here when he tells him." She said as she rushed her towards the room.

"Hey you." He said with a smile on his face at just the sight of her.

"Hey." She sat down at her normal place on his left just as the doctor came in. Setting down her purse she glanced back up to see that Tristan was nervous.

"Your tests came back clean." He said with a smile. "We will have you out of this hospital by tomorrow morning." Tristan closed his eyes to blink back the tears at the news. His hand instinctively went out towards hers and she squeezed it out of happiness.

"Thanks Doc." Tristan said.

"An honorable discharge is being given to you, so you and I will never have to cross paths again." Rory smiled. "I'll be back with both sets of discharge papers tomorrow morning."

"Thank you." She said as she glanced at Tristan and smiled. "You get to go home! I'm so happy for you Tris."

"Home." He said. "Tomorrow." She could tell by the way he said it, he didn't know what to think of the news.

"Hey Tris, where is home?" She asked hesitantly.

"Hartford I suppose." He chuckled. "I've been living on a base since I was seventeen. I never had to worry about it."

"But where is all of your stuff, while you've been here." She asked.

"A storage unit." Rory sighed. "I've got a lot to do before then." He said. "Will you hand me that pad of paper, I'm going to have to write this all down." She knew his memory was still a little short after his head injury so she offered to help.

"I'll do it." She said as she pulled out a pen. "Go ahead."

"Call parents. Get transportation. Call storage unit, ship stuff." He started listing off all of his things he could think of. "Find living arrangements. Get job." His voice was getting shaky as he realized everything that he had to do.

"Whoa. Slow down." She said, not writing any more. "One step at a time. You don't have to start your entire new life tomorrow." She said as she reached out and held his hand again. "You've got nothing but time. Right now, just appreciate the fact that you get to leave this bed."

"I've gotten used to this bed. I think I'm going to miss it." He said. "Does that sound ridiculous?" She shook her head.

"Not at all." She got quiet as she thought about what she was about to say. "Hey, why don't you stay with me for a while." She offered. "Just until you can sort out all the details. You've got a lot on your plate, let me take one or two things off this list."

"No, I'll get it all sorted out." He said as he brushed her off.

"I want you to." She said. "I have a spare room, no annoying pets or neighbors or awful roommates." She smiled "Just for a couple of days even. It would make me feel better. Please?" She was using her eyes and she knew it, but she did what she had to do.

"Ror, you don't have to do that."

"I know but I want to. You've been in this room for way too long, you should be able to leave it as soon as possible. It'll be fun. We can watch movies, order food; it'll be like a week-long party." He looked at her sincere eyes and then down at the list in her hand and back at her.

"A week." He said.

"Maybe even less." She said, hoping it would convince him to come home with her.

"Okay." He sighed, reluctant to push his problems onto her. He didn't really have much of a choice at the moment. She squealed with joy as she clapped her hands together.

"You won't regret it. I promise."

OOOOO

The next day Rory showed up at the hospital with Josh and Drew and couldn't contain her nerves. Her leg was jostling around the entire time they sat in the waiting room. She had meant what she said, about Tristan coming to stay with her and she was so excited to be able to help him, she just didn't know what she had gotten herself into. Josh just nodded his head towards Rory and smirked at Drew, who knew exactly why she was so nervous. They had been waiting for this day for a couple of weeks and they were very excited to be able to get their buddy out of this God-forsaken place and back into the real world, but Rory had a lot more riding on Tristan's exit. This was their chance to be normal adults and maybe actually go on a date. They both knew that Rory wanted to date Tristan, but that she was trying to maintain her distance and simply be supportive. The last thing he needed right now is a girlfriend, and they all knew it. Josh's head jerked up as Tristan came walking down the hallway, looking completely normal.

"There he is." Josh said with a big smile.

"Perfectly healthy and not a scratch on him." Drew said. "You're welcome by the way." Tristan just grinned and gave them each a hug.

"What, just because you saved my life you think that you can hold it over my head for the rest of it?" Rory chuckled and Tristan finally allowed himself to glance over at his new roommate.

"You ready to go?" She asked.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Alright then." She said, standing up.

OOOOO

"Okay, so this is it." She said as she turned on the light in the foyer. "Living room is right here." She said as she turned right and went down a step. "Watch your step, the house is old and that step is kind of narrow. The last thing we need is you tripping and having to go back to the hospital." He heeded her caution and followed her into the living room. "The dining room" She said as she pointed towards the end of the room. "but I never eat in there." She added. "And if you step up here, we have the kitchen." She said. It was long and narrow and ran the length of the living room and dining room. "Fridge, microwave, dish washer, stove, the usual." He smiled and followed her back into the hallway. "And on this side of the house we have the bathroom." She said, turning on the light in the room to the right. "Towels and stuff are under the sink. Everything else."

"The usual?" He finished with a smirk.

"Right. My bedroom." She said pointing towards the open door on his right. "And here is your room." She walked in and he set down his bag. "You've got a closet with some drawers, but if you need more room, just let me know."

"This will be more than enough." He said. She nodded.

"Feel free to use the computer or the desk drawers, if you need them. This was supposed to be my office, but I never actually use it." She said with a guilty smile. "So I'll let you get settled in and if you need anything, feel free to ask or just snoop around until you find it."

"Ror, thanks for this."

"Please," She waved her hand. "I'm looking forward to it." She said as she left him alone. Tristan couldn't believe how quiet it was. In the silence, he realized for the first time how alone he felt without being surrounded by hundreds of fellow soldiers. He was twenty-seven and he couldn't remember the last time that he had truly been alone. As he finished unpacking, he went off in search of Rory. He found her sitting on the kitchen counter on the phone. He smiled at the action and opened the fridge in search of a beverage.

"He's been here less than fifteen minutes." She rolled her eyes at him. "Let me ask his permission first, please?" She covered up the mouthpiece. "How do you feel about a home cooked meal. Steak, potatoes, fresh veggies, apple pie, the works?"

"Yes please."

"Comes with a crazy mother and a fantastic cook who also substitutes as my stepfather."

"That's okay."

"Are you sure? They can be persuaded to put it off to a different day." He shrugged. "Okay, I warned you." She removed her hand. "Alright." She said. "I know that you heard that. It's called the truth." He smiled. "He says that it's fine. Okay, I'll see you in a couple of hours." She hung up the phone.

"Party to celebrate my freedom?"

"I told my mother last night that you were staying here for a while and she told Luke and now, she wants us to come down and have an actual meal."

"It's nice of them to invite us." Rory smiled.

"You have no idea." Tristan raised an eyebrow. "She remembered you, and the party, and the kiss." He laughed and looked up at the ceiling. "She wants to finally meet you."

"Are you kidding?"

"Nope. I have a feeling there may be some not so subtle hints being thrown around so I apologize in advance."

"Your mom sounds pretty entertaining."

"Something like that." She said. "Again, I made her promise to behave, but that's not saying much so take it all with a grain of salt."

"Of course." He said with a smile.

"Oh, and one more thing. She may call you Bibleboy, it was her nickname for you back at Chilton, you know, because of the whole Mary thing."

"I had a nickname?" He said, pleased that he was mentioned at all.

"Yes. You did." She said, hearing the pride dripping from his voice. "I panicked when we were put in the same English group and you guys were coming to Stars Hollow. I knew that you would cause trouble with Dean and I wanted to avoid it. I told her about the kiss and now, well…" She didn't finish.

"She's having us over for dinner."

"Yeah."

"Relax Rory, it's going to be fine. What time do you want to leave?"

"I don't know, around three?"

"Okay, I need to buy some clothes. I have nothing."

"Do you need a ride?" She asked.

"Nope, I rented a car." He said proudly holding up a set of keys. "But if you really want to spend your entire day shopping, then you are more than welcome to come along." He said, making it sound like a day of torture.

"Um, hello. Female." She pointed to her face.

"Right." He said. "Still getting used to that. Sorry."

"No problem." She laughed. "Come on, I can have a new wardrobe in your hands in three hours."


	3. Chapter 3

"I still cannot believe that you managed to find all of this in two hours."

"It's a gift." She said as she fixed his collar and looked into the mirror. "What do you think?"

"I like it." He said, moving around to examine the whole garment.

"Good. And it goes with those khakis I found earlier and these jeans, so yay." She clapped her hands, pleased with herself. "Hey, try it on with that blue jacket. I just want to see what it looks like." The sales clerk smiled at Rory as he went back into the dressing room.

"He looks fantastic."

"Thanks."

"You're really lucky." She said quietly. Rory just smiled as he came out with the jacket. Tristan glanced at the sales clerk who was looking him up and down. He winked and she blushed and walked away.

"I guess that's a yes." He said pleased with the reaction he got from her.

"I guess so." Rory said. "Come on Romeo. We've got a dinner to catch."

OOOOO

"Hello!" Lorelei waved from the porch where Luke was grilling.

"Hi Mom." Rory said with a hug. "Luke."

"Hey Rory." Luke said with a smile.

"Guys, this is Tristan DuGray, my guest for the next few days. Tristan, this is my mom Lorelei and my stepdad Luke."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Lorelei said.

"You too. Rory's told me a lot about both of you."

"It's all true." Luke said under his breath and Tristan grinned. "Tristan, can we get you a beer or something?"

"Sure, that would be great."

"I'll get one for you." Rory said. "Luke?"

"I'm still nursing this one." He said, raising his bottle.

"Be right back." She smiled and followed her mother into the house.

"So, Tristan, how does it feel to be back in the States?"

"It's nice, especially to finally be out of the hospital."

"I'll bet. So you're staying with Rory for a while?"

"Yeah, she's been really great through all of this. She's convinced that I'm going to win her a Pulitzer, so she said that it's the least that she could do." He smiled.

"She's got a good heart."

"Yeah, she does."

OOOOO

"So, how's it going so far?" Lorelei asked.

"Considering we haven't spent a single night together yet, I can't tell you." Rory said as she stuck her head in the fridge.

"Dirty!" Lorelei said.

"You know what I meant."

"He seems like a nice guy."

"He is." Rory said as she emerged again holding a beer. "I can tell that he is still a little shaky. He's not used to being here, you know?"

"He'll get the hang of it."

"I hope so. We went shopping today and got him clothes. It's like he's starting entirely from scratch."

"That's tough." Rory nodded and walked back out onto the porch.

"Here you go." She said as she handed him his beer.

"Thanks." He said briefly, not giving her any attention at all. Luke and Tristan were locked in serious man conversation so Rory left them be.

OOOOO

"Okay, steaks are almost ready." Luke said as he and Tristan came back into the kitchen.

"Great, oh I forgot the wine in the car." Rory said. "I'll be right back." She said, excusing herself from the room. Luke went back out to finish the steaks and Tristan and Lorelei were left alone in the kitchen.

"So, Tristan, any plans on dating my daughter in the future?" Lorelei whispered to him casually. Tristan glanced at his watch.

"You made it almost half an hour. I'm impressed." He said with a smirk. Lorelei shrugged.

"Answer fast, she's going to be coming back."

"I plead the Fifth." He said as he threw his hands up in the air.

"I like you." She said with a grin. "If you're really nice to me, I'll show you the naked baby pictures later."

OOOOO

"Luke, this is officially one of the best meals I've ever had, so thank you." Tristan said.

"You're very welcome, and really it was our pleasure. It's the least we could do."

"More pie?" Lorelei looked at Rory who nodded. "Anybody else?"

"No." The guys said in unison.

"How do they do it?" Tristan asked.

"Hell if I know. I've been trying to figure it out for twenty years. They should have had a series of heart attacks by now."

"It's the eighth wonder of the world." Rory said as she accepted the last piece of pie and a fresh cup of coffee from her mother. The phone rang and Lorelei turned around.

"I'll get it." She said as she picked up the receiver. "Hello? What do you mean, you think a pipe may have burst?" She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay. I'll be right there." She hung up the phone. "Emergency at the Inn."

"I'll get my tool box." Luke said before she could even ask for his help.

"I'm so sorry." Lorelei said, her face twisted in an apologetic smile. "It was a pleasure meeting you Tristan."

"The pleasure was all mine. And don't worry about it. Go save the Inn from drowning." He said with a wave.

"Good luck." Rory said as she watched the two run out the front door. "And that, in a nutshell, is my family." Rory said with a grin to Tristan.

"I don't know what you were so worried about. They are great."

"Yeah, they are." She said. "Crazy, but great."

OOOOO

"Look what I found on your shelves." Tristan said as he emerged from her room waving yearbooks. Rory smiled. "I missed your senior year. It's only appropriate that I get caught up." He said, sitting down on the couch next to her.

"Who knows what you are going to find." Rory smiled. They cracked open the first yearbook and with each page, Tristan was reminded of why he had left Hartford in the first place. On each page was a memory of someone that he had befriended, slept with, or betrayed, sometimes all three rolled into one.

"Oh my God. I had hair." Tristan said as he spotted a picture of himself.

"Yes you did."

"I actually forgot what I used to looked like." He said, examining himself. "I look so…young." Rory smiled and nodded. "And you!" He said, pointing to her picture. "Now that's how I remember you." She covered her eyes.

"Talk about being young." She said, turning her attention back to the yearbook in her lap. "Oh my God."

"What?" He asked, intrigued by her reaction.

"Payback Paris style." She said as she held up the photo for him to see. He looked for her, and couldn't help but laugh out loud at the picture.

"What is wrong with you?"

"I was sneezing. God, Paris was so insane back then." Rory said with a laugh. "She was out to get me every time I turned around."

"She was just jealous of you." Tristan said.

"Jealous? Of what?"

"You were the only person in that school who could compete with her, but you were also everything she wasn't. You had the smarts, but you were also kind to others and drop-dead gorgeous. She was threatened by you."

"I don't know about that." Rory blushed. Tristan grabbed her hand and held it strong.

"You're beautiful." He said. Her breathing was heavy as she stared into his eyes. This is what Tristan must have felt like in high school. Rory was suddenly aware of the sexual tension between them that her naiveté had previously restricted her from knowing. She watched as his rough hand came up and brushed her hair away from her smooth face. She closed her eyes briefly, letting her senses fill with the sensation of his fingertips barely caressing her cheek. When she opened them again, they had slowly shortened the gap between them. She glanced at Tristan briefly before leaning in the rest of the way and letting her lips make contact with his. He took control of the kiss, his hand never leaving her face. Suddenly, Rory pulled away and jumped back to the other side of the couch, picked up the yearbook and began to study it. Tristan was confused, until he heard the front door open.

"Hey, I'm back." Lorelei said with a smile. "Luke is fixing it and everything is under control." She said.

"Good." Tristan smiled, trying to cover up his nervousness. The look didn't get passed Lorelei, but she ignored it for everyone's sake and glanced at the yearbook.

"Whatcha reading?" She asked, looking over Rory's shoulder.

"Yearbooks, we were reminiscing." Rory said.

"Did you get to see the Paris picture yet?" Lorelei asked with a smile. Tristan nodded and laughed.

"Hey, it's getting pretty late, we should be heading back." Rory said as she shut the yearbook and put it down on the coffee table.

"You're right." Tristan said. "Lorelei, thanks again. It was great meeting you."

"You're welcome anytime. The key is in the turtle." She said with a grin.

"Mom!"

"What?"

"The whole point of a 'Hide-a-key' is to actually hide the key."

"I knew I should have read those instructions." She said, snapping her finger.

"Goodbye." Rory said, exasperated.

"Goodbye." Lorelei said, hugging her daughter. Rory turned to open the door and Lorelei gestured at Tristan to wipe the lip gloss off his lips. He did quickly and Lorelei winked. "Drive safe!" She called as the two left the house.

OOOOO

"You did what?!" Tristan was on the cell phone in his room, telling his story to Josh. "How did you let this happen?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you how it happened. One moment we were laughing, and the next we were kissing. Well, technically, she kissed me first, but then her mom walked in."

"What are you, fourteen?" He asked.

"I swear to God, Josh. I feel fourteen." Tristan said rubbing his neck.

"So what does this mean?"

"I don't know." He said, unsure of what he was feeling. He knew that it was one of the best kisses he had ever had. He also knew that he was biased because he hadn't actually kissed anyone in a long time.

"Look, if you want it to happen again then you've got to talk to her about this. This could be your second chance." His second chance. Tristan had considered what her reappearance in his life could mean, but he had never looked at it that way.

"I can't do that to her." Tristan said, honestly trying to keep her best interests at heart. "I've got absolutely nothing together. I mean, I had to buy a wardrobe just so I could leave the house." Josh sighed. He knew that this wasn't going to be an easy adjustment for Tristan.

"Will you at least consider the fact that you need another friend right about now?" His request was met with silence. "She could help you through this in a way that we can't. Someone is going to have to train you to be in the real world again, it might as well be her. You might be able to ignore the kiss long enough to buy you some time to get your act together." Josh said.

"And what if I can't?"

"You'll figure something out."


	4. Chapter 4

"Tristan?" Rory called into the house when she returned home from work. "Are you here?"

"Yeah." He called from the hallway before meeting her in the living room. "How was work?"

"Fantastic. They liked my story so much that they want to make it into some sort of weekly column." She said, excited. "Like a miniseries of articles on homecoming soldiers."

"That _is_ fantastic." He agreed, happy for her. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, although technically I couldn't have done it without you guys." She said as she started walking towards the kitchen. "Hey, do you have the numbers for Josh and Drew? I should call them and let them know."

"Yeah." He said, grabbing a pencil and scribbling down their phone numbers for her. "I just got off the phone with Josh actually."

"And how is Josh?" She said.

"He's his same old self. You should call him. He would love to hear from you." Tristan said. "I've got to finish up some paperwork this afternoon so I can head back to Hartford this weekend but when I get back we should celebrate." When she didn't say anything, he looked up at her to make sure she was still standing there. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I just didn't realize you were actually heading home this weekend." She said, clearly surprised by his admission.

"We had agreed to a week, remember?" He said, trying to be nonchalant about the whole ordeal.

"Yeah, but I guess it just went faster than I anticipated." She processed what he was telling her. "Do you have somewhere to go?" She asked.

"I'm going to be staying with my parents, or in my parent's house rather, since they are never actually there." He corrected himself. "There are a couple of great apartments that I've been looking at online that I want to take a look at. I'm pretty certain that I'll be moving into a new place sometime in the next couple of weeks."

"So you want to stay in Hartford?"

"For now. Just until I get my feet on the ground. I figured that I can look for a job, go from there."

"It makes sense." She said. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow." He said. She exhaled.

"Tris, this isn't because of the other day is it? Because I meant it when I said that you could stay as long as you needed…"

"No." He said, interrupting her. "Of course not. That was…it was great." He admitted. "But I've got to start my life. I can't keep living in your fake office." He smiled.

"I guess not." She said. "I'm going to miss having you." She said with a small smile. "But when you get back we'll celebrate my column and the fact that you are starting your new life." She said, unable to fight the feeling that she was being left behind.

"Good. I should be back in an hour." He said as he picked up his keys.

OOOOO

Rory called Drew first, but he wasn't answering, so she tried Josh next. He picked up right away.

"Hello?"

"Hey Josh, it's Rory."

"Rory! How are you?"

"I'm great. Look I'm just calling to let you know that your article was so well-received that the paper is starting a column based on the same concept."

"Really? Congratulations! That's great. And it wasn't my article; it was yours, so you deserve all the credit." Rory smiled.

"Hey, Tristan said that he just got off the phone with you, did you know that he was leaving tomorrow for Hartford?" There was a long pause.

"No, he failed to mention it."

"Yeah, to me too. I think I would have come home to an empty house and a note." She sighed. "This might sound, well, out of line, but do you think that he's ready to be on his own?" Josh didn't want to get into this with Rory, but since she was asking, he had to give her some answer.

"I think that Tristan is extremely independent and he always has been. He's going to do what he thinks is best."

"Josh, I'm a reporter, you're not fooling anyone." She told him.

"I know you do. But as his best friend, that's all I can tell you. I would love to help you, but there is a strict guy code that forbids me from telling you anything. It's tighter than a confidentiality agreement. All I can say is, you need to talk to him."

"I understand." She said. "Thanks Josh."

"You're welcome. Congrats on your article." He said. "Oh and Rory?"

"Yes?"

"If it means anything, Drew and I totally approve." She smiled.

"It does. Thanks." She said as she hung up the phone.

OOOOO

When Tristan got back, he found that Rory had ordered take out, cracked open a bottle of wine, and was sitting in the dining room, drinking the first glass alone. On first glance, she looked like she had been stood up by a date.

"Hey." She said, pouring him a glass of wine. "Come, sit down." Tristan could tell that she was upset by something, but she didn't know what it was quite yet. And from the way she spoke, maybe it hadn't been the first glass of wine poured. "To you, and your new life." She said as she toasted him.

"To your article." He said. They both took a sip, hers a little larger than his, and he started eating his pasta.

"So, before you leave, we need to talk." She said.

"Okay." He said, knowing what she was referring to.

"We kissed." She said, as if that were enough to start a conversation.

"Yes. We did."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. You seemed to want to ignore the fact that it happened, so I didn't mention it."

"What are you talking about?"

"In the car, on the way home? There was silence for two hours." He said.

"You didn't say anything either."

"What did I have to say? You kissed me."

"You weren't exactly pushing me away." She said.

"No, I wasn't." He said with a smile.

"These past few weeks, the shameless flirting, the banter, the way you used to 'accidentally' brush your fingers across my skin when I sat next to your hospital bed, these were all signs that you felt the same way you did back in high school. And so, I thought that an actual kiss was a good sign. Now, you're leaving, without even telling me about it first. What were you going to do, leave a note?"

"No, I just assumed that when we talked about me staying a week, you figured I would be leaving in a week." He said, not feeling in the wrong at all. There was a long pause.

"I'm sorry. I just, I keep wondering, is this all that our relationship is ever going to be? Flirting for a while, a kiss and then we go our separate ways never knowing if we'll ever see each other again?" Tristan realized why this was affecting her so much. It was high school all over again, and he was leaving, again.

"I don't want that." He said, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "I want to be able to kiss you again. I want to be able to take you out on a date and give you a normal relationship. But I don't know if I can give you that yet. I've got nothing to offer you. I'm homeless, I've got no job and I've got a plate full of Me that I've got to focus on."

"I know that." She said quietly.

"You don't want a relationship like that. You deserve someone who can give you the world, who has a life and a plan."

"But I don't want that person. I want you." She said, taking him by surprise. A determined look crossed over her features as she stood up, leaned over the corner of the table that was separating them and kissed him. Tristan didn't know how to react to the brazen kiss, but his instincts took over and he pulled her closer to him, pulling her around the table and sitting her down on his lap. As she straddled him in his chair, his hands went out to her hips, desperate to feel all of her. He pulled away for a second to catch his breath.

"What are we doing?" He asked her, unsure of what this was.

"Giving in to ten years of questions." She said with a smirk as she kissed him fiercely again. He smiled at her impish answer and went back to work. Rory couldn't believe how well he could kiss. It was like he was lighting fires all over her body. His mouth went down to her neck, behind her ear, driving her wild. Her skin seemed to beg for any form of friction, even if it was just a simple touch. As if on cue, Tristan reached out and ran his hands up her back, pulling her shirt up and off. "We can't, do this, here." She said, her heavy breathing interrupting the sentence. Tristan couldn't understand what she was saying. His head was fogged with hormones and the taste of her. She kissed him once more and got off of him.

"Bedroom." She said as she stood up slowly. He watched as she turned her back to him and took off her bra, throwing it on the floor. "You coming?" She asked. He exhaled slowly, trying to catch his breath and for a fleeting moment he wondered what this meant for them, but he was too far gone now. He caught up to her quickly and slid his hands around her body, pulling her tight against him once again. She helped him remove his clothes and ran her hands down the sides of his torso, sliding them into the side of his boxers. She kissed his chest all the way down to his belly button as she slid down his body slowly, sliding the boxers off as she went. Tristan gulped and closed his eyes as he felt her warm breath on the patch of skin between his belly button and his hips.

"Your turn." She whispered huskily in his ear and he opened his eyes. He put his hands on her hips, just above the waistband of her panties. He followed her lead, dropping her underwear to her ankles and kissing her stomach, he could feel her muscles twitching under his lips and he grinned, kissing his way back up to her neck. Her hand ran across the rough skin of his back and for the first time, she remembered that he had been injured only a few weeks ago. His hands firmly on the small of her back, he guided her down to the bed.

"Tris, wait." She said, suddenly losing her confidence. "You just got out of the hospital." He chuckled at her information, as if he could forget. "Should we be doing this?"

"I'm fine. Plus, I've been waiting for this moment since I was sixteen. Do you really think some scrapes and bruises are going to stop me from enjoying it?" She thought about it. "No." He answered for her. He silenced her doubts with a series of kisses that made her vibrate like a string. He went back to exploring, driving her mad with want. On the off chance that this never happened again, he was taking his time, memorizing every inch of her body.

"Tristan." She was growing impatient.

"Rory." He mocked her. She gave him a glare and in return for her fiery spirit, he reached down and slid a finger into her.

"Oh God." She muttered, relishing in his slow and torturous ministrations. "More." She begged, realizing that she was putty in his hands. He shook his head and entered her instead. This had to be what heaven was, she thought with her last sensible thought. After that she couldn't even spell her own name if you asked her to. Tristan wasn't faring any better. As he lost himself in her, his mind went numb for the first time in years, leaving any complications or worries far behind.

OOOOO

Tristan and Rory rested their heads on their individual pillows and stared at each other, neither one wanting to break the silence. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek and Rory closed her eyes, reminding him of their kiss earlier in the week.

"How do you do that?" She muttered.

"Hmm?" He asked, never taking his eyes off of her.

"Get me to feel more intimacy in a fingerprint's touch than I ever did in having some of the best sex of my life." He smiled.

"Clearly, you haven't had the best sex of your life…yet." He added as he leaned in and slowly brushed his lips against hers. Rory gathered her senses and opened her mouth, deepening the kiss. Getting swept up in each other, Rory felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She pulled away.

"Are you leaving?" She asked, having to know.

"I have to." He said. "I can't stay here forever."

"Yes, you can." She said. "You can stay here, you can look for a job. What do you have in Hartford that you don't have here?" He thought about that statement. "Plus, Boston has so much more to offer."

"Oh really? Like what?" He asked, wanting to simply listen to her voice.

"Besides more of what just occurred?" He smiled and gave her that one.

"Yes, ravishing women aside."

"Sports teams." She said, trying to convince him to stay.

"Really?" He said. "I had no idea."

"Yeah, guys like sports right?" He chuckled. "We've got the Red Sox and… some other teams." She clearly knew nothing about sports. "We're one of the oldest cities in the country. We have tons of history, and, and, beans!" She added with a laugh.

"How long have you lived here?" He asked, loving her more and more as he watched her attempt to win him over.

"What I'm trying to say, is that you have no strings tying you down right now. You could start a life anywhere. Just consider it. If it helps, I would definitely not be against you moving out of the guest room and into here." He smiled.

"You want me to move in before we've ever even been on a date?" He asked.

"Just until you find an apartment." She said. "I could help you look."

"You really want me to stay, don't you?" He said. She nodded.

"I feel like we've been working up to this moment for ten years, and I want to finally give it a chance. I'm tired of not knowing." Tristan sighed.

"Me too." He said. She held her breath and gave him the biggest puppy dog eyes he had ever seen. "Okay, I'll start looking in Boston."

"Really?" She cried, clapping her hands together. He nodded and she launched herself into his arms. "You will not regret this decision. I promise." She smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

Tristan smiled as Rory snuck up behind him and covered his eyes.

"Guess who?" She whispered in his ear. "When are you coming to bed? It's late." He shut the lid of the laptop on his lap and shrugged. She kept her hand over his eyes as she came around his chair, removed the computer and sat on his lap instead. He pulled her hand away from his eyes as he realized something was amiss. When he saw her, he was a little startled. She was wearing a navy blue teddy that matched the flecks of dark blue in her eyes. He looked her up and down before glancing back at her.

"What's the occasion?" He asked, wanting to know if he had missed something.

"You've been working so hard looking for a job, I thought that you needed a little…distraction." She said, hoping she picked the right word.

"You picked the right outfit." Tristan said once the shock wore off.

"Good." She smirked. He took his finger and softly trailed it down her neck and into her cleavage and back up again.

"You know, when I was in the hospital and describing you to the guys, this was never part of the description."

"No?" She smiled. He shook his head before pressing his lips to her bare shoulder. It was a strangely intimate act considering what she was wearing. Logan wouldn't have let her move off his lap before having his way with her. Tristan, on the other hand, was drinking her in, refusing to make a move as if she would disappear if he moved too quickly. He finally removed his lips from her skin to speak.

"God, you're gorgeous." He murmured, unable to believe that he was the lucky man sitting here with her. "You're too good to be true."

"Tristan, I'm not going anywhere." She said, hearing what he was really saying behind his compliment. "I'm here, with you, no matter what. You can let me in." He looked up at her, surprised by what she was saying. "I'm not going to be transferred, deployed, wounded or killed. And neither are you." She held his hand. "You can go to bed every night knowing that I'm still going to be there when you wake up."

He looked down at her hand in his. She was right. The only stable people that had ever been in his life were Josh and Drew. He didn't know how to relax around anyone else. He was always waiting for something bad to happen. It was why he didn't want to stay in Boston, didn't want to get attached to this beautiful woman. He knew, deep down, that he couldn't lose her again. The first time, he had been a kid, who didn't think twice about losing someone. He had always known that she was way out of his league anyway. But if he lost her now, when he didn't have anything else…he didn't know what he would do.

"You might not have a lot right now," she told him. "But you do have me." This statement seemed to break Tristan from his thoughts, he looked at her with that same old intensity that she remembered from the piano bench and he kissed her. It started off as slow, but passionate, taking baby steps toward what they actually wanted. Tristan slid his arm under her legs and stood up. Rory threw her arms around his neck to keep herself from falling. After he set her down on the bed, he undressed and climbed on top of her. Before taking her in his arms, he brushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear and whispered two words.

"Thank you."

OOOOO

Rory paced her bedroom, nearly shaking. Why did this phone call have to come this week, after she had promised to Tristan she wouldn't abandon him? What the Hell was she going to tell him? She couldn't look him in the eye and say what she had to say without their relationship changing. They were in a good place. He had opened up to her in the past few days in a way she hadn't been anticipating. Things were good, easy even, and now… She sighed again. She was a planner, she usually would wait and plan out every possible scenario and conversation that might occur and then broach the subject, but she knew that if she did that now, she would get scared of what she might discover and not go through with it at all. No, this was better to just get off of her chest. She closed her eyes and said a prayer. "Please let this go okay." She begged before walking out into the living room.

OOOOO

One look at her and Tristan knew something was wrong.

"Tris, we need to talk." Rory said quietly as she walked into the living room with a look of guilt and uneasiness on her face.

"What did you do?" Tristan asked, putting down the paper.

"That was my editor on the phone. You know how people really responded to my piece on you guys, which in turn led to me doing some more veteran stories?" Tristan nodded. "Well, it's going so well that the paper wants to send me to Iraq to do another story, this time about the people on the ground." It was a phrase so incomprehensible to Tristan's brain that he actually couldn't process the sentence. Was she suggesting that they wanted to send his girlfriend: perfect, naïve, untainted Rory Gilmore, to Iraq?

"What are you thinking?" She asked as she sat down next to him on the couch. "I need your advice. I mean, you know what it's like, what I would be getting into as a reporter." Tristan thought back to the reporters he had seen. They had always been treated pretty well, carefully guarded and away from most of the action. The smart ones had anyway. "I mean, if you thought for a second that I would be in too much danger, I would stay home…" She furiously tried to state all of her thoughts of the day in a single paragraph, but Tristan couldn't handle that.

"Ror." He held up his hand, wanting some silence for a second. "Please. Let me just…" She nodded in understanding as he stood up and walked around. "Do you want to go?" He asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I don't know, I mean. The experience would be, unbelievable. But I would have to know by Saturday."

"This Saturday?" Tristan choked out. She nodded nervously. "For how long?" He asked, wanting more details.

"A few days." She said quietly. "Please, give me your take on this."

"I don't know what to say." He shrugged, trying to be honest. "You're my Mary." She smiled, knowing that he was protective of her. "It's hard for me to imagine sending you to my own personal Hell." She knew that it was going to be hard for him to hear it, but she also really needed his support on this.

"But do you think I can do it?" She asked, really wondering if she had what it took. Tristan sat back down next to her, wanting to comfort her nerves.

"It's not about that, Ror. I mean, God gave you those big beautiful blue eyes for a reason. You can see people, and the world, in a way that no one else can. And on top of that, you can write it so flawlessly that you describe it better than those of us who have experienced it." Rory didn't know what to say. It was the sweetest, most sincere compliment that anyone had ever given her.

"A simple yes would have sufficed." She teased. Tristan smiled and squeezed her shoulders tight. "Will you help me?" She asked. She knew it was a lot to ask of him, but she needed his help, now more than ever.

"Of course." He said, as he realized what he was agreeing to do. "In fact, I'll make sure that my guys know that you are coming. They'll take good care of you." She smiled.

"You have guys? You make it sound like you're in the mob."

"Something like that." He said. Rory looked down at the floor before looking back up at him.

"Would you," She sighed, not knowing how to ask. "Would you want to come with me?" Her editor had suggested it, but Rory knew that it was going to take a lot to get Tristan anywhere near that point on the map. He stared at her momentarily, trying to see if she was serious. "And don't think that you have to, because if I were you, I would say no so fast, but I just thought that I should offer." Tristan stared at the carpet in front of him. Go back to Iraq? He had committed to his choice of not re-enlisting, and now, after being back in the States, the concept of going back seemed foreign. But Rory was heading there, with or without him. If he went with her, he could protect her, or at least he could feel like he could protect her. He also knew the ins and outs of the country better. He would make a good guide, and keep her away from any real danger. But, he would have to go back, and there was no telling what he would be like in that environment again. War does crazy things to your perception of reality. Rory was staring intently at him. The question at hand still lingered in the air.

"I don't know." He said, wanting to break the silence, but refusing an answer.

"I understand." She said quickly, not wanting to push him. He looked at her uneasy countenance and knew that if her mind was already made, he would have to go with her. He could never forgive himself for sending her there alone. He looked at her again, and this time she could see his resolve melting.

"God. What am I supposed to tell Anderson and Masters?" He said, knowing they would have a few choice words for him. Rory smiled.

"I'll handle them." She said with a genuine smile.

OOOOO

Rory opened the door to her apartment wearing what Tristan had lovingly named "The Dress". It had been hanging on her closet door for a week in anticipation of this dinner tonight. Rory had invited both Drew and Josh to her place for dinner. She had even set the dining room table for the event. Tonight she was finally going to break the news to them about her trip and get their opinions on the subject, but they didn't know that. The only thing that they knew was that Rory came prepared to stun. At the first sight of her, Drew whistled instantly, taking no regard for her feelings or Tristan's for that matter.

"Hi boys." She said with a smile. Tristan had always thought that Rory was a tease in high school, even though she didn't realize it. The most dangerous part of Rory as a woman was that now she realized the power she held over men, and she had learned how to use it.

"Does she look like that all the time?" Josh whispered to Tristan. He just nodded and Josh patted him on the back. "You're my hero."

"What's the occasion?" Drew asked.

"I've got some very important news regarding your article in the paper." Rory said.

"Really?"

"Yes, can I get you guys something to drink?"

"A beer is fine." Josh said, glancing at the bottle in Tristan's hand.

"Me too." Tristan got up and opened a beer for each of them.

"So what's the big news that has Miss Gilmore looking so fine this evening?" Josh asked. Rory sighed and glanced at Tristan.

"Well, it has to do with my column, which I've already told you, but the readers took such an interest in your story that my editor has offered to send me to Iraq, to interview the guys on the ground, see a different perspective." The table, which was already quiet, seemed to grow more silent, although Rory didn't know how that was possible. "And I decided to go."

"And I'm going with her." Tristan added. The three men stared at each other, silently communicating their thoughts. They seemed to be a part of a secret club that Rory wasn't allowed to be in and this secret code was driving her crazy. It was clear they needed some time to process, so Rory left the room and stood in the kitchen, just far enough away to still listen to everything they were saying while she was gone. "Somebody say something." Tristan requested. Drew opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Are you sure?" Josh asked Tristan. Tristan nodded.

"It's only for a week." He said, as if that were a sufficient explanation.

"Tristan…" Drew finally spoke. The concern in his voice surprised Rory.

"I know." Tristan said shortly, cutting him off.

"Do you think that this might help you? Going back, I mean?"

"I don't know. It couldn't hurt." He said.

"Couldn't hurt? Are you kidding?" Drew said.

"Would you prefer her being over there by herself?" Tristan asked, instantly becoming protective of her.

"Does she know what she's getting into?"

"If I'm there, I can help control the situation. I can protect her. What can I do from here?"

"True," Josh conceded that point with a nod of his head "but what about you. Who's going to protect you?" Rory could practically see Tristan's jaw clench at the mention of his weakness.

"She is." Tristan said shortly.

OOOOO

The next few weeks flew by as Rory did as much homework as she possibly could, preparing for the trip of her life. Tristan had been a wonderful resource, answering any of her questions and even telling her information that she hadn't thought to ask. She knew that her planning was taking a toll on him. He sometimes talked in his sleep, whispering scared words that Rory couldn't quite make out. She had wanted to talk to him about it, but she had no idea what to ask, what to say.

Tristan was stubbornly refusing to show any sign that he was uncomfortable. He simply put on his game face and forced himself to just get through this. The night before they left, Rory was sitting on the couch, piles of papers surrounding her and a pencil stuck through the bun in her hair. Tristan smiled at the sight, wanting to preserve the image, when suddenly, it hit him. They were leaving for Iraq in the morning. His heart started racing and he wanted nothing more than to beg her to change her mind. The fear that suddenly shot through him surprised him, and he didn't know what to do about it. He thought about his last day in Iraq, about the accident. He couldn't let her experience that fear, that pain.

"Ror?" The tone of his voice got her attention and her head shot up to see what was wrong. He sat down next to her. "Will you do me a favor?"

"Anything." She said, truly meaning it.

"When we get over there, will you," he paused, "will you stay out of the town?" He requested. "I don't want you there. It's way too dangerous." She nodded.

"Of course." She said, putting a hand on his leg to comfort him. "You know that you can tell me anything." She said and he nodded, despite knowing that he never could. "Anything else?" She asked, wanting him to feel comfortable talking about this with her. He simply shook his head before kissing the top of her head.

"Don't stay up too late." He requested. "We've got a big day tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I hope you enjoy!

As soon as their plane landed, Rory and Tristan were swept up in a security detail and led to the main office building.

"Miss Gilmore. I'm Major Davis." The man said as he shook her hand. "DuGray, nice to have you back." The officer said, never showing any emotion either way. Rory glanced at Tristan, wondering if he knew him, but his face was blank. It was a skill that Rory still marveled at, especially considering that she couldn't lie to save her soul. "Welcome to our base."

"Thank you, glad to be here." She said as she followed him into the building.

"Sir." Tristan whispered, reminding her of where she was.

"Right." She said.

"Right sir." He teased.

"You left the army DuGray." Major Davis said, despite the fact that he was four steps ahead of them and hadn't even bothered turning around. Rory bit back the smile as her boyfriend was scolded. "Havens here is going to keep you company Miss Gilmore, while DuGray meets with Colonial Grayson."

"Hi." She said to her new bodyguard. He gave a quick nod, but remained silent. Rory watched as Tristan, and Major Davis disappeared into the office and the door shut with an ominous thud.

"I don't envy him at all." The soldier beside her finally spoke. "It's going to be hard for him to be back here. Tristan was the best sniper we had. When he resigned, everyone took it hard." Rory couldn't help but stare at the man next to her. She didn't know which piece of information to go after. Tristan had been a sniper? He had resigned?

"What do you mean?" It was a vague question but it was a start.

"When he never re-enlisted, people were shocked. We all thought he'd be a lifer. No one expected him to leave permanently. He may not have had the highest rank, but he was a real leader here. I guess he saw the accident as a slip of his guard, like he was losing his touch. We tried telling him that wasn't true, but he said it was time for him to get out of the game. Plus, he had met you. Once you walked onto this base, we all knew the real reason for his sudden retirement." Rory paused and glanced at the door again. Tristan had never told her that he had chosen to leave, but then again, she had never asked. She just assumed, well, she didn't know what she had assumed, but they had never brought it up.

"So some of his unit is still here?"

"Yes ma'am." Tristan had mentioned his boys still being in Iraq when they were discussing this trip. "All ten, myself included."

"I would like to interview them, please." She added, knowing the request was difficult to arrange. "If it's possible." He nodded when the door to the office swung open.

"Miss Gilmore?"

OOOOO

"What brings you back to this sandbox DuGray?" The Colonial stared down at him. While Tristan knew that he technically wasn't in the military anymore, not hearing his rank was a shock to the system.

"I'm here with my girlfriend sir. Rory Gilmore. She's a reporter for the Boston Globe and she's here on assignment."

"That doesn't answer my question, now does it DuGray?"

"I'm here to protect her, I guess. I didn't want her here by herself sir."

"Well aren't you just the picture of gentility?" Grayson teased. "I thought for a moment you had changed your mind and decided to lead your men again." Tristan wanted to sigh, but his training forbade it. He knew that they felt abandoned by him, but no one could argue with his reasons for not re-enlisting. He knew that if most of them had the choice, they would be at home as well.

"No sir. I believe my time was up. I was starting to get too comfortable." Grayson laughed. No one got too comfortable in the middle of a war, let alone one taking place where it was.

"Where is this girlfriend?"

"Right outside sir."

"I would like to meet her."

"Yes sir." Tristan said as the Colonial opened the door.

"Miss Gilmore?" He said, ushering her inside. "You can keep Havens company, DuGray." Rory smiled at her guard.

"Be right back." She muttered, nervous, but refusing to show it. She heard the door close behind her and waited for the Colonial to sit back down at his desk.

"Please, sit down." He said, offering her a chair. "Excuse me for saying it, but now I understand why he refused to let you wander this desert alone." Rory smiled and blushed.

"Thank you sir."

"Now, Miss…Gilmore was it? I'm told you are here on assignment. What is your mission?"

"To write a story about my overall experience here. Sir." She added quickly, remembering Tristan's advice.

"I see. And what qualifies you to be out here?"

"Um, well, I've worked at the Boston Globe for a couple of years now, before that, four years at Yale where I was the editor of the Daily News, before that, three years at Chilton Prep, which is where I met Tristan."

"Speaking of DuGray. You seem to have stolen one of the best soldiers on my base. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"In all honesty sir, the military stole him from me first."

"Is that right?"

"Yes sir. I was sixteen when he left for the military academy. I've only just found him again." The man couldn't help but smile.

"Normally I would not be able to say this, but I like your gumption, Miss Gilmore."

"Thank you sir." She said with a small smile.

"Do you have any of these articles that I keep hearing about for me to read?"

"Yes sir. I can have an email sent to you in ten minutes once I get back to my computer."

"Good, I need to protect my men, Miss Gilmore, but so long as you are careful and do not cause any trouble, I don't see why you can't get all the information that you need here."

"Thank you sir."

"And keep an eye on DuGray. He had quite the shake-up last time he was here. If you see anything I should know about, let me know?"

"Of course sir." Rory nodded, unsure of what to make of that last comment.

OOOOO

Tristan escorted Rory back to her room and watched as she walked inside. She collapsed on the bed but sat up and motioned for him to join her. He sat down next to her without saying a word.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were a sniper?" Rory asked without looking at him. He shrugged.

"Most people don't like to know it." Tristan knew that this trip was going to make it a lot more difficult to hide information from her, he just didn't expect the questions to start so soon.

"But you were, or so I'm told, the best. That's why they put you in charge of a whole unit." She said. "That's something to brag about."

"Rory, nothing about my job was worth bragging about." He said.

"Then why did you do it?" Tristan sighed.

"When I first started training, I was naturally good at it, really good." He said. "I liked the fact that you only killed the bad guys. There were never any innocent bystanders involved. It was just you, and the target. It kept my conscience clear at night. If I did my job, the world was a better place. If I failed, I only had myself to blame. It was clear, black and white." Rory nodded in understanding.

"So what happened?"

"I fell through a roof." He said simply. Confusion swept over her features, and Tristan suddenly felt guilty for keeping this piece from her. "I was on the roof of the building when the bomb went off, not next to it." Rory closed her eyes, unable to understand.

"You were on a mission?"

"Yeah." He said simply. Rory stared at him, wanting more information. "It was a pretty big hit, so I was told to perform the mission myself, rather than sending one of my men. I got set up. I was looking through my scope," Tristan said, lifting his imaginary rifle as if he were re-enacting the shot "and the guy showed up, surrounded by bodies. I knew it was going to be a tough shot, but then he turned and looked up at the roof. Before I could react, the building was gone. I woke up and I remember seeing Josh and Drew yelling at me, digging through the stone, but I couldn't hear them. Everything was just sort of…blurry and in slow motion. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in the hospital. I mean, if they hadn't been there to pull me out..." He didn't finish the thought out loud, not wanting to think about it.

"But they were. They did." Rory comforted him. He nodded. She kissed his temple and ran a hand over the back of his head. He got an annoyed look on his face.

"But I had to have walked right past it when I went up the stairs, but for the life of me, I have no idea where it was." She knew just from his intonation in his voice that he wondered about it constantly. It was one of those thoughts that haunted him at night. "I mean, if I had seen it. If I had been paying attention…"

"Tristan, you couldn't have known."

"I could have, actually. That's what makes this whole thing so hard. I knew better and yet…"

"So that's why you quit?" She asked. He didn't bother looking at her. She wasn't sure if it was out of shame or avoidance. "Havens told me. You never mentioned that you chose to retire."

"I'm twenty seven and I haven't started my life yet." He said. "I was seventeen when I joined the military. And there I was, lying in a hospital bed on the verge of death. I want to get married, have a family. I want to experience stuff before I die." Rory sighed.

"That's a much better reason than quitting to be with me." Rory joked, eliciting a smile from Tristan. "You know that everyone is saying that's why you quit."

"Of course they are." He said. "Look at you." He said, letting his hand stray up her thigh. "Not a bad reason to leave." He admitted.

"Tris, I've heard you talk about your days in the barracks with the guys. You love the military. You said it yourself, you've done nothing else. Are you sure that this is what you want?" He nodded.

"I'm not going to lie, it was hard at first, getting used to the life back home. I'm still not used to it yet. But I'm very sure. It's time for a new chapter in my life." His certainty was what she needed to see.

"Okay." She said simply. "Then I'll be there to help you readjust."

"Thank you." He said. "For everything."

"You're welcome." She said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"So Grayson seems to like you." He said with a smile.

"I like him too." She said. "He thinks I have gumption." She said proudly. Tristan chuckled.

"You do." He agreed. She got quiet, not knowing how to ask her next question. Tristan looked over at her pensive face and smiled. "Go ahead." He said, knowing she had a question to ask.

"How does it feel to be back here?" Rory asked. Talking about Grayson reminded her of the end of their conversation. She wanted to keep a close eye on Tristan without appearing to do so.

"It's a little surreal. I'm here, but I'm not staying with my guys. I'm not on missions. Honestly, it would be like putting you in a newspaper office with a computer and a set of notes and telling you to sit in the corner and watch." Rory nodded.

"So you're tortured?" She asked with a smile.

"I don't know." He said, not being able to share his feelings. He didn't have Rory's talent with the English language. He felt things, but he was never very good at explaining them. It was the reason he and Rory fought so much in high school. He never could just say what he wanted to say. Rory, on the other hand, couldn't shut up if she tried.

"Will you tell me if you're feeling uncomfortable, please?" Rory asked. "I don't want this to be a bad situation for you. I need for you to be honest with me." He nodded slowly, but Rory didn't believe him. "I'm serious." She said.

"I know you are." He said.

"Promise me." She said, holding out her pinky.

"You want me to pinky swear?" He squinted at her finger.

"Yes, promise me that you'll tell me if you want to go home or if you are feeling anything other than happy feelings." He rolled his eyes.

"I promise." He muttered reluctantly, wrapping his pinky around hers.

"Thank you." She said with a brief kiss. They were interrupted by the sounds of shots being fired in the distance.

"You're welcome." He said, trying to keep the tension in his body from surfacing. He hoped that if he stayed calm, she would too. Rory sighed.

"We're not in Kansas anymore." She said, rubbing his shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

It was hot. For being in a desert, Rory couldn't state the fact enough. She had already written it in her notes three times. She was allowed to be in minimal gear, but the men standing in front of her were covered from head to toe with thirty to fifty pounds of gear on and she had no idea how they were still functioning. After watching the routine practice, Tristan was supposed to pick her up and take her to her next station for more interviews. She was packing up her bag when she heard a whistle from one of the men. Assuming that it was for her, she glanced up, but was surprised when everyone was looking over her shoulder. She followed everyone's gaze and couldn't hide the smile that covered her face as Tristan strode towards her in a uniform that was covered in a fresh new medal.

"Got some new hardware DuGray?" One of the men walked up to him and shined the star on his chest for him.

"Looking good Sarge." Another teased.

"Are you ready to go?" Tristan asked her with a smile, clearly trying to ignore the men around him.

"Yeah." Rory said, still watching the interaction between the men intensely.

"Sorry boys, I've got to escort the lady to her next post. Have fun in drills." He said as he moved his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose and winked. The groans that emanated from the crowd made Rory chuckle.

"So what's the story behind the new look?" Rory asked.

"They wanted to give me a medal for my service, and these things are usually done in uniform and since you made me pack one in case of emergencies, I put one on for old time's sake."

"You're welcome." She said with a smile. She hadn't seen him in uniform yet, but she had to admit, there was just something about the confidence in his smile and the way that he strutted around the rest of the day that turned her on. It was like the missing piece of the puzzle that unlocked the whole Tristan. As the day finally ended, Tristan was bringing Rory back to her room. She watched as he walked in ahead of her to check out the room and she locked the door behind them.

"I had a really good time today." She said.

"Good." Tristan smiled as she walked past him and let her hand trail across his abs briefly.

"I don't know what it is about seeing you in your natural environment, being in control, all the while looking smoking hot in that uniform, but I am dying for you to come over here and be my G.I. Joe." Rory said. Tristan just raised an eyebrow at her suggestive behavior.

"What has gotten into you?" He asked. She shrugged coyly as she started unbuttoning her shirt slowly.

"I have no idea, but I'm hot." Tristan watched as another button was unfastened slowly, revealing her skin, which was covered in a thin layer of sheen from sweat "and bothered." There went another button. Tristan was suddenly finding it hard to breathe. "And I'm not leaving this bed until I'm completely satisfied." She said, removing the shirt completely. Tristan knew how determined she was when she wanted something, so he didn't bother questioning her statement. He just helped her undress by pulling her pants off of her long legs. He stripped down to his wife beater as quickly as possible and pushed her onto the cot, their sticky bodies from the desert heat now gliding easily against each other.

"Jesus." He said as he felt her wet heat.

"Do you see what you do to me, soldier?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. He devoured her with a hot kiss and she moaned out her response. She spread her legs, silently begging for him to enter her. He granted her request. She moaned in satisfaction at finally feeling him within her.

"Open your eyes." He commanded. He wanted to watch her while he eased her sexual frustration. Her eyes fluttered open and she was surprised at his face. He was staring at her with such intensity that she didn't know how to handle it, but she locked eyes with him anyway, forcing herself to fight the urge to simply die in pleasure. From the way that he looked, she would have thought that he were doing push-ups in basic training. There was something so masculine and in control about him that it made Rory go weak in the knees, figuratively speaking of course. As her abdomen tightened, she allowed herself to close her eyes and explode through her orgasm. Tristan finally let go and allowed himself the same pleasure. As they came down from their high, Tristan fell onto his stomach next to her, and Rory giggled.

"Do you know how torturous it was seeing you like this all day and not being able to touch you?" She asked, her hand trailing up and down his back. He stared into her eyes.

"It's how I feel about ninety percent of the time." She smiled at the compliment, but didn't believe him for an instant.

"You're keeping the uniform, right?"

"I am now." He said with a tired smirk.

"Good, you are an entirely different person with it on." Her statement took him by surprise.

"What do you mean?" He asked, still trying to catch his breath.

"I mean that you are confident, comfortable, like you could take on anything and anyone. You look like you've got the whole world under control." She said. "It was like the final piece of the puzzle to your personality. I guess I hadn't realized how different you seemed without one. What I'm wondering, is whether it was just a lack of confidence post accident, or if you are really having that hard of a time adjusting back in Boston."

"You got all of that from watching me walk in a uniform for a couple of hours."

"It was a big change, Tristan." She said, not taking the subject lightly at all. He fell silent, not sure how to deal with her judgment against him.

"I am happy in Boston. I want you to know that." He said.

"I know you are." She said, rubbing her hand over his bare shoulder.

OOOO

"Last day in the desert, what's the plan?" Tristan asked at breakfast the next morning.

"I've got some interviews I have got to get before I leave. Havens is going to go with me. What about you?"

"I don't know yet. I thought I might tag along with you. Get to see you in action." Rory smiled, not wanting to admit what she was doing that day.

"You don't want to do that. It's so boring; you can't listen to the interviews anyway because they're confidential. You would just be standing around with Havens outside of the door. You should do something semi-fun on your last day here. Talk to your friends, hang out with your guys." Tristan got the notion that she didn't want him around so he nodded.

"Okay." He said, noticing that she wasn't looking him in the eye. He pushed his food around his plate with his fork a little before being interrupted by Havens.

"You ready?" Rory nodded.

"Yeah." She turned to Tristan. "If I kissed you goodbye right now, would everyone notice?" She asked.

"Probably." He said with a smile as she nodded.

"I'll see you later." She said. "Have some fun today." She requested.

"Bye." Tristan waved her off.

OOOOO

Rory glanced around the small village that she had promised she would stay out of. It wasn't her fault that the guys who were stationed here today happened to be the men that she needed to talk to. The Colonial had given her full permission, but still, Tristan had asked her not to come here. He didn't have to know. He kept things from her all the time. This time, it was her turn to keep a secret or two.

"We can't go down that road." Havens said.

"Why not?" Rory asked.

"It's off limits."

"I thought that the Colonial told me that it was okay for us to be here…"

"It wasn't orders from the Colonial." From the look on Havens face, he clearly didn't want to talk about it.

"Tristan's giving you orders now? He's not even in command anymore!" Rory said, frustrated that Havens would listen to his old commander.

"Look, Tristan didn't say anything to me, but I know for a fact that he doesn't want you going down that road. It's where his accident happened." Rory was overcome with a sense of curiosity that she couldn't contain.

"I want to see it." She said, sounding pretty demanding for someone who had no power whatsoever.

"No." Havens shook his head, unable to grant her request.

"It's just around the corner."

"No. Do you know what they would do to me if they found out that you were off the track?"

"Please? I have to know. I can't help him until I fully understand what he went through." Havens looked at her and felt his resolve begin to crumble. Her eyes were big and her lips were shaking. He did want to help Tristan, but if he ever found out what they had done…well, he couldn't find out.

"On one condition." He said.

"Anything."

"No one finds out about this. Not Tristan, not anyone at the paper, not anyone on base, not anyone in this town, do you understand me?" She nodded her head. Havens looked around as if someone were watching and he headed down the street. Rory followed close behind. As she came up to the rubbled remains of the building, she let out a small sigh. She snapped a quick photo. It was exactly as she had pictured it in her imagination, and yet, she couldn't help but tear up at the unexpected sight of reality. He had been in there, trapped under it, unable to call for help. She finally glanced away, unable to look at it any longer.

"Okay, let's go." Havens said, turning quickly around and escorting her back to their truck. He was clearly uncomfortable with the situation, both from breaking the rules and watching her cry. She sniffed, fighting back the tears.

"Thank you." She said, trying to put him at ease. He helped her into the back of the truck before letting the canvas drop behind him. The ride was silent for a few minutes until the driver of the truck shouted something to Havens.

"Get down!" He said, grabbing her arm and pushing her to the floor of the vehicle. She covered her head with her arms as the sounds of gunfire filled the air. She couldn't tell where it was coming from or where it was going. Lost in the chaos of the moment, she was surprised when it stopped as quickly as it started. Havens returned from the window, quiet and white as a sheet. "You can get up." He told her. "They won't be bothering us again." From the way that he said it, Rory knew that he had taken care of the problem. She opened her mouth to say something, but knew that there was nothing to say.

OOOOO

"DuGray." Havens had finally tracked him down, the guilt from the day not allowing him to rest until he did so.

"Yeah." He said, slowing his pace to stop and talk to his friend and current guardian over his girlfriend.

"We need to talk."

"About Rory?" Tristan asked, knowing from the intonation of his voice that the subject was serious. Havens just nodded. "Why? What happened?"

"She had a pretty emotional day today. There was a sight that she wanted to see, that was, shall we say, off the beaten path." Tristan knew that meant 'all but restricted'. "When we got back on the truck, we had an incident." Tristan felt every muscle in his body tense at the word.

"What do you mean, back on the truck?" Tristan asked. Havens didn't answer. "You went into town today?"

"She's fine. She's in her room right now, but you should probably go check up on her."

"Havens." Tristan needed more information. "Did you go into town today?"

"She had an interview and we happened to walk by the building." He said. Tristan stopped listening and walked directly past his friend. He barely made out the phrase "only time to get it" that was yelled after him. He didn't bother stopping until he had barged into her room, scaring her half to death.

"Jesus!" She said, landing on the bed again after jumping two feet into the air. She clutched her heart and stared at him. "You scared me." She said. This nearly sent Tristan over the edge. _He_ had scared _her_? Was she serious? Rory saw how upset Tristan was, but she didn't know why. "What's wrong?"

"Are you okay?" He asked her quickly. She eyed him cautiously, unsure of what he knew. "Are you hurt physically or, or, or, emotionally for that matter?" She shook her head.

"Okay." He nodded, confirming that she was okay. "Now let me ask you this, are you out of your fucking mind?!" He had never raised his voice to her, ever and it scared her. "You made Havens drive you into town, after you were specifically told…"

"They told me it was okay." She defended herself.

"Okay?! Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?!" She knew that his anger was only out of concern for her, but she had to get his emotions under control. She got up slowly and stood in front of him, forcing him to stop pacing.

"Tristan, look at me." She said, putting her arms out for him to examine. "It was just a scare. I'm here. I'm safe." He just kept staring at her, his anger refusing to subside.

"You went there. After I asked you not to! What if something had happened to you?" He asked, clutching her face in his hands. "Do you have any idea what that would have done to me? The guilt that I would have felt?" She suddenly remembered the conversation that had taken place in her dining room between Tristan, Josh, and Drew. He had come along to protect her. She realized that Tristan would have blamed himself for anything that happened to her on this trip. Rory swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. Shame was pumping through her veins. She had dragged him along on this trip, against his will, promised him that she would be safe and then had just thrown the entire thing in his face. His biggest fear, the reason he almost died, the reason that he laid in that hospital bed for all of those months. She realized how selfish she had been.

"I'm sorry." She said, not knowing what else to say. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Well, you did." He said, opening the door. He couldn't stand to look at her right now. He knew that if he did, he would lose his anger and immediately feel sympathetic at the sight of her crying.

"Tris, wait, let's talk about this. Tristan!" Her request fell quietly against the sound of the slamming door.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry about the wait. I rewrote this chapter a couple of times. I'm still not sure I'm satisfied with it, but I'm tired of messing with it. Feel free to review honestly.

Tristan wanted to stay angry, wanted to block out all the feelings he had for her and shut her out for a while. She could consider it revenge for the irreverence she had had for his feelings and wishes. He had only made one request. He had come back here for her with only one stupid little request and she couldn't even give him that. He slammed his own door, sat down on his bed and sighed, putting his head in his hands. He had lost his temper. He couldn't remember the last time he had gotten that angry at anyone. A knock on his door made him collect his thoughts. He stood up and opened the door.

"I'm sorry." Rory begged with tear-filled eyes. He wanted to shut the door again, but he couldn't. Instead, he turned around and tried to ignore her. "Tris, I know that you are angry and you totally deserve to be. I should have been honest with you." She wasn't getting a reaction out of him, so she kept going. "I never meant to hurt or worry you; I was just doing my job and we're flying out tomorrow morning so I wanted to get that interview. Unfortunately, I got a little too into the job and I didn't think about you and that was wrong. I mean, the only reason that I'm even here right now is because of you and your bravery and courage and," she sniffed "I just love you so much and I hate that I did anything to hurt you." When she finally got the nerve to look at him again, she realized that he was staring at her. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?" She asked with another sniff. He walked over to her and cradled her face in his hands.

"I love you too." He said softly. She crumbled, losing her composure and crying on his shoulder. He held her tight, letting her cry.

"I'm sorry." She said, pulling away and composing herself. She felt so much guilt over the whole ordeal; she couldn't enjoy the fact that he had just admitted his love for her.

"It's okay." He said. "I overreacted."

"No, you didn't." She shook her head. "And I do love you. I didn't just say it so you wouldn't kick me out." She said, wiping away a stray tear from under her eye.

"I know." He smiled briefly.

"God," She muttered, her actions sinking in. "I just blurted it out like that, when you are supposed to be angry with me. I'm so sorry." She blushed as she covered her face with her hands.

"Stop apologizing." He said, removing her hands from her face. Every time that she did, he felt worse about making her feel bad. This was why he wanted to stay away from her for a while, even though he was the one who was angry, he was the one who was comforting her.

"I can't. You know that." She said, upset with herself. She was right. He couldn't be angry with her because she took everything to heart. She was a kind person, who would never hurt anyone intentionally and the fact that he was upset did nothing to change that.

"Do you want to talk about this afternoon?" He asked wearily, giving up on his own anger and focusing on her.

"Don't do that." She said.

"Do what?" He asked.

"Be nice about it." She said.

"Ror, you experienced something that…"

"I knew that it was part of the deal when I signed up." She interrupted him. "I didn't see anything because Havens pushed me down so fast. If ever there was a time to be thankful I was dating a sniper…" She teased, but Tristan looked ill from being so uneasy about the subject. "Thankfully, I was still in a state of shock from being in town." Rory realized that she was on a roll with making things worse so she decided to stop talking. Tristan sighed. So much for trying to avoid that subject, he thought.

"Yeah, about that…" He said.

"Tris, I just wanted to understand, but standing in front of that building, it brought it to life for me, you know? It made it more real for me."

"It shouldn't have to be real for you." He said.

"Hey." She said sternly, grabbing him by his arm. "The day that I walked into that hospital room, it became my issue too." She said. He thought about his next question carefully.

"What's it look like?" He asked quietly, unsure if he even wanted to know. She was just as surprised by his question as he was in asking it.

"I took a picture." She said. "It's back in my room, on my camera. I figured that someday, you might want one."

"For what?"

"To tell your story. For your kids, your grandkids." He shook his head.

"I don't think so."

"I know that right now, talking about it seems impossible. But if you don't tell it, no one will ever know. You control what people will remember about this war. Don't you understand how powerful that is? Years from now, students will be researching this war for a paper and they will stumble across my articles and they will get a small glimpse into what your lives were like, why you were willing to die and why they have the freedoms that they have. I can write the story down, but it is _your_ story, and I can only write down what you tell me. The story has to be told, Tristan. Maybe not right now, but it does."

"Don't let her fool you, that's what she tells everyone she's about to interview." Havens said with a grin. "Come on guys, the chow hall is waiting. You wouldn't want to miss your last military meal, now would you DuGray?" He smiled and shook his head.

"We'll be right there." Havens left them alone. "I'm sorry for getting mad."

"I'm sorry for making you angry." Rory said.

"Truce?" He asked as he held out his hand. She nodded and shook it.

OOOOO

"You ready to go?" She asked as he said his last goodbye to a group of men in the corner.

"Yeah." He nodded, picking up her bag. They walked outside and the chopper that was there to take them to the airport was waiting. Rory looked around once more as Tristan shook hands with the pilot and handed them their bags. "After you." Tristan said, helping her up into the helicopter.

"DuGray!" The Colonial called out. Rory watched as Tristan ran back to his former boss. The pilot started the helicopter and waited for Tristan to get in. The Colonial, who had obviously hurried to catch them before they left, shouted something to Tristan over the sound of the helicopter blades. When he was done, he patted him on the back, and sent him on his way again. Rory was more than curious to know what had been so important, but she noticed that when Tristan got onto the helicopter, he had that same blank slate face that he had first had when they landed here almost a week ago. She wanted to ask him if he was okay, but she knew that he wouldn't hear her over the sound of the blades. He glanced up and looked at her, and he shook his head, as if to tell her it had been no big deal. She watched as he returned to staring out the window. Rory figured that he needed his space, to say his goodbyes and to make his peace with this entire country.

OOOOO

He remained quiet for the rest of the trip home. Outside of answering when spoken to, Tristan hadn't said two words to her. Rory glanced at Tristan as the cab pulled up to the curb. He had fallen asleep against the window, and she wished that she were strong enough to carry him into the house without waking him. She paid the cab driver and shook Tristan's hand gently.

"We're here." She told him. He opened his eyes quickly and got out of the cab. Rory shook her head. "Zero to sixty in 2.5 seconds." She muttered as she got out of the cab.

"It's an army thing." He said as he handed her one of the lighter bags. His groggy voice betrayed him and she unlocked the door.

"Come on, bed is waiting." She said as she swung the door open and stepped inside. Tristan headed straight for the bedroom, dumping the bags in front of the closet and undressing, barely slowing down on his way to the bed. Rory was right behind him. Coming home at three AM Iraq time was not the best planning on their part. Tristan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close, taking a deep breath and letting his body relax into the big bed. Within a few seconds, he was snoring quietly. Rory smiled against his chest. Zero to sixty, she thought as she closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.

OOOOO

"Where are you off to?" Rory asked as Tristan grabbed his keys off the table.

"I'm going to Josh's." She had expected him to run off to see his boys as soon as they got off the plane. She was grateful that he had such close friends who were able to relate to him when she couldn't. She knew that no matter how close they became, there was just certain information that he would never be able to share with her. When those times came around, she was glad that he could talk to someone about it.

"Should I make dinner?" She asked him, wondering how long he would be gone.

"No, I've got an appointment with a realtor later." He said quickly. She had almost forgotten that he was planning on moving out. He heard her sigh, and he knew that he was busted for slipping it in at the last minute, but she didn't say anything to him, and for that he was thankful. He walked up behind her chair, bent down and kissed her cheek. "I love you." He whispered in her ear. She fought the urge to smile at his charm. He was not getting off the hook that easily.

"Have fun." She replied, with a roll of her eyes.

OOOOO

After Tristan told Josh and Drew about the trip over beers and pizza, they both knew that something wasn't quite right with their friend. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in a few days. Finally Drew had to ask.

"What's wrong?" He asked, setting down his beer.

"Nothing's wrong." Tristan said. "I'm just, tired. This last week took a lot out of me. And now I'm looking at apartments, which is stressing me out because I'm constantly worried about Rory and her feelings, and what she's thinking about it."

"If it's that stressful, then don't move out." Josh said simply.

"I have to."

"I thought things were going well with you two." Drew said.

"That's the problem." Tristan said. "I feel like we're moving forward, and everything's great, but I'm still standing still. I want to be able to have a normal relationship with her. I can't do that when I'm living in her house." Judging from the way that they were staring at him, they didn't understand. "She's spent our entire relationship fixing me." Tristan explained. "I need to feel independent again, and I can't do that when she's constantly taking care of me. I know she means well, and it doesn't help that I can't say no to her. But I want to be the one taking care of her for once."

"Then you've got to do what you've got to do." Josh said.

"And we'll be here to help." Drew said.

OOOOO

"Ror, we need to talk."

"About what?" She asked, concerned.

"Listen, will you promise not to say a word until I finish what I have to say?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

"It's about our trip. I realized that you were right, when you said that I was a different person there than I was here. I've never gotten my footing in the civilian world but I feel like I'm starting to learn, and most of that is thanks to you. And the more that I figure it out, I'm starting to realize how much work I still have left to do." Suddenly, Rory found her throat tightening. "And you, you've been so good to me." He smiled as he reached out and touched her hand. "You've taken care of everything that I could possibly need, but there's only so much that you can do. I have to do the rest."

"You're breaking up with me." She said quietly, not looking at him.

"I don't want to break up with you." He reassured her. "But I haven't been a good boyfriend to you."

"That's not true." She said, shocked that he would suggest such a thing.

"It is." He nodded. "I feel like I should be the one who takes care of you, at least now and then, but I can't do that. I need to take some time to put myself together. I knew that this was going to happen, and it's why I was so hesitant to start anything here, to put down any roots. But now, you're my incentive to get better, faster. I want to be that man that you saw in the desert. I want to be your G. I. Joe all the time." She chuckled at the memory despite the tears in her eyes.

"What do you need?" She asked.

"I've found an apartment. It's just a ten minute walk from here actually." She took a deep breath and nodded. "But I was thinking, maybe we could start a date night, like once a week, where we could get together? I want to keep you in my life, and I absolutely don't want to break up with you, but I just need…"

"A break." She said simply. He shook his head.

"Time." He replied. No matter what she was thinking at the moment, she knew that he needed this, and if she really loved him, she would have to comply with his wishes. She nodded.

"When are you leaving?" She asked.

"Next week." He said, analyzing every facial expression on her face.

"Do you have a list?" She asked, pulling out a pad of paper from under her stack of work notes. He smiled at her willingness to help. He took the pad of paper away from her and shook his head.

"This is what I'm talking about. No more help from you." He said. "This is my responsibility. I've got to do this."

"But…" She protested, and he shut her up with a kiss.

"No." He said firmly again.

"You're just going to move in to an apartment all by yourself." She said as if it were the most ridiculous idea she had ever heard of. "You're going to buy all the furniture and move in and unpack all alone?"

"Not by myself, just without any help from you. You've done too much already." He had his stubborn face on, and Rory knew that she wasn't going to get him to cave.

"I don't like you very much right now." She pouted, and for some reason, Tristan thought it was adorable.

"I know, but you'll get over it." He said, kissing her again.

"I know I will, and I hate myself for it." She said, already giving in to his power over her. It was hard to stay mad when he could make her dizzy with a single kiss.

"Thank you." He said, looking into her eyes. She nodded reluctantly.

"Just promise me one thing?" She asked.

"Anything."

"Don't take on too much too quickly?" She requested.

"Deal." He nodded.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry about the wait on this chapter! Thank you for everyone who has been reviewing. It means a lot to me that you guys are liking this story.

With a knock on his door, Tristan jumped about ten feet in the air. It was the first time he was going to see Rory since he had moved out, and he had to admit, he was more nervous than when he had moved into her place. He took one more look around before heading towards the door.

"Hey." He said with a smile as he opened the door.

"Hello." She smiled and gave him a kiss. "So this is the place?" She said as she took off her jacket.

"This is it." He said as she strolled past him, ready to inspect the place. "Come on in." He muttered to himself.

"It's big." She realized.

"So I've been told." He smirked. She turned around to show just how amused she was by his joke. "Dinner is almost ready, do you want something to drink?" He asked, changing the subject. "I've got some wine in the fridge."

"Sure. I'm going to keep looking around, if it's okay by you." She said as she wandered down the hall. She found his bedroom, the bathroom, and what looked like it could be an office, but it was still completely empty. When she moved back towards the kitchen, there was a glass of wine waiting for her on the counter.

"And?" Tristan asked, wanting her opinion.

"You did good." She said. "It's nice. The spare room is a little empty though."

"Yeah, I haven't quite figured out what to do with it yet." He said.

"Oh, I got you a house-warming gift." She said, reaching into her purse. "But you don't have to take it."

"Why wouldn't I want to take it?" He asked suspiciously.

"I wasn't sure how literal you were being about the 'No help from Rory' situation." She teased as she handed him the envelope. He rolled his eyes briefly before opening his gift.

"A gift certificate to a massage parlor." He raised one eyebrow. "You've been talking to Josh and Drew." He knew instantly.

"I just assumed that after all that moving, you could use a stress-reliever. Why? What do they know?" Rory's curiosity was peaked.

"Nothing. I just told them that my shoulder was bothering me."

"Since when?" Rory wanted to know.

"Since a building fell on it." He joked. Again, Rory didn't find the joke quite as amusing as he did. "Thank you." He kissed her chastely to change the subject. "I will most definitely use this." He set it down on the table.

"Can I ask you a serious question?" Rory asked.

"Can I stop you?" He said with a grin.

"Have you really been in pain since the accident?" She asked. Tristan shrugged.

"It comes and goes. Some days I get stiff and sore, others, I don't even notice that anything has changed. Lately it's been worse."

"Have you told your doctor?" She asked.

"Ror, I had a building collapse on top of me, not to mention multiple surgeries in multiple countries, some soreness now and then is to be expected."

"I guess." She sighed.

"Do you want to kiss it and make it better?" He offered, rolling up the sleeve of his t-shirt. She fought the smile that came with his ridiculousness.

"Maybe later." She said. "Right now, I'm starving."

"That I can fix." He said with a proud smile.

OOOOO

"Come here." Tristan said, grabbing Rory's arm and pulling her into his lap. She left her legs hanging over the arm of the sofa and placed her head on his shoulder. "Are you mad at me?" He asked, entwining his fingers through hers and examined her hand.

"No." She said, surprised by his question.

"You've been at least a foot away from me all night long." He was met with silence.

"I didn't realize." She sighed. "I guess I'm just not sure what the rules are now."

"The rules?" He questioned, moving his stare from their hands to her face.

"You know, regarding you and me. I'm trying to give you a little space, and I know that this whole thing has made me miss you like crazy so I guess, subconsciously, I'm preventing myself from being too clingy." Tristan smiled.

"Just because I moved out doesn't mean that I don't want you all over me. Quite the contrary, actually." He clarified. "That's why I asked. I haven't seen you in over a week and yet you've barely been in the same room with me since you've gotten here."

"I'm sorry." She squeezed his hand to show that she meant it.

"So do you have plans for tomorrow?" He asked slyly.

"No." She shook her head. "Why?"

"I'm just wondering if you're going to stay the night." She glanced at him.

"Do you want me to spend the night?" She asked, not willing to give him an answer.

"Do you really have to ask me that?" He raised an eyebrow.

"This whole independence thing was your idea. You tell me."

"Do you honestly think that sleeping together is going to make my life worse?" He asked, laughter in his voice. "Because that thought is ridiculous."

"Alright." She said, standing up. "You want to get your feet back on the ground, American-style? You're going to have to work for it, like every other man in America." She said, moving to the other side of the couch. He smiled confidently as he slid next to her. He threw an arm over her shoulder so he could whisper in her ear.

"Challenge accepted." He whispered, sending chills down her spine already.

OOOOO

The next morning, Tristan's shoulder was feeling even worse. He glanced down at Rory, who was sleeping angelically next to him, and he cringed as she shifted on his arm. He felt like it was so apropos of what he was experiencing. Here she was: sleeping blissfully, completely ignorant of her surroundings all the while looking gorgeous; meanwhile, he was painfully awake, broken, and unable to talk to her about it. The last thing he wanted was to ruin that for her, because once she woke up, there was no going back.

OOOOO

"So I've been doing some research and I believe that I have come up with a brilliant plan in regards to your job search that doesn't require you to do anything morally reprehensible or illegal in any way." Josh said as he sat down next to Tristan.

"Sounds too good to be true."

"I know. But it's not, I promise." He said.

"Okay, hit me." He said.

"What about teaching ROTC?" He asked.

"Um, I left the Army, remember?" Tristan pointed out.

"I know but this would be all of the military without any of the actual combat. You could have a relatively normal nine to five job, have a cozy desk to hide behind, and you could keep wearing the uniform which would insure that you keep getting laid." Tristan glared at Josh.

"I should have never told you that story."

"But you did." Josh smiled, letting his mind wander.

"Back to the job." Tristan requested.

"Right. Where was I?"

"A desk to hide behind."

"Right. Anyway, this guy I know at BU told me that they have a great ROTC program and that they were interested in hiring you."

"Have you been job searching for me?" He asked his friend.

"Maybe." He said. "Anyway, here is his card." Josh said as he reached into his wallet. "There you go. Give him a call, just ask what he does all day."

"I'll think about it." Tristan said as he got up from the couch and went into the kitchen. He grabbed a glass of water and reached into his cupboard for his new muscle relaxers. Today was a bad day.

"What are you taking now?" Josh asked as he grabbed the bottle from Tristan and sat down at the table to read the label.

"They're for my shoulder."

"Why?"

"The Doc says it's a lost cause."

"What are you talking about?" Josh had that same concerned look that Drew had when Tristan had mentioned it.

"The rest of me is healing, healthy even, but my shoulder isn't."

"Does it bother you?" Tristan nodded as he swallowed the pills.

"They think it's going to keep bothering me for a while."

"They can't do another surgery?" Josh asked.

"Nothing left to put together. It's string cheese as it is."

"Jesus. Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's not that big of deal. I'm just going to keep taking the meds and manage the pain that way." Josh closed his eyes.

"Does Rory know?" He asked, knowing that she didn't.

"She was the one who told me to go see the doctor, but no." He said. "You know how easily she freaks out about things like this. If I told her I stubbed my toe she would be over here in ten minutes."

"Because she loves you." He said. "Look, I know that you want to be independent again, and you will be, but you can't keep something like that a secret."

"I'm not. I'm going to tell her. I just have to find the right time." Josh gave him a look of pity. "Relax, it's just some pain. All things considered, I can handle it." He reassured him.

OOOOO

"Ror, I gotta tell you something." Tristan sighed and tried again. "Rory, we need to talk." He rolled his eyes. "Can I talk to you for a second?" He sat down dejectedly on the bed. This was not going to work. She was going to freak out. There was a knock on the door. He cursed under his breath.

"Tristan?" Rory called out as she opened the door.

"In the bedroom." He said, standing up. She met him in the hallway and smiled.

"Still getting ready?" She asked as she kissed him.

"Something like that." He said. She noticed how uneasy he looked.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I've got some news." She tried to swallow away the sinking feeling in her gut. Instead, she put her game face on and walked with him back towards the living room. Tristan saw the change.

"It's about my shoulder." He told her. "It's shot and they don't know if it can be fixed." Rory sighed.

"Tris," She said, reaching for his hand. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'm just not really in the mood for that movie." He said. She nodded in understanding.

"We can do it some other time." She said. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. Tristan shook his head.

"I'm so tired of talking about it." He said, letting himself pout for the first time since he found out.

"I understand that." She said. "Do you want me to go?" She asked, not wanting to leave him sad, but wanting to respect his needs.

"Absolutely not." He said, pulling her closer to him. He gave her a kiss that lit up her soul, and allowed them both to forget what they had been talking about.

"God, you're good at that." She smiled.

"It's a gift." He muttered before kissing her again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rory asked.

"I will be." Tristan said, hoping that it was true.


	10. Chapter 10

"Okay, well I just got home, so I'm going to have to call you back later when I have the numbers in front of me." Rory stuck her keys in her door. It was unlocked. Tristan's car wasn't in the driveway. She started to freak out. "Gina? I'm going to have to call you back." She said as she hung up the phone. She opened the door slowly and grabbed her purse, ready to use it as a weapon. She stopped just outside the kitchen to listen to the footsteps coming her way.

"Hey Rory." Josh said nonchalantly.

"Holy crap, Josh." Rory said, grabbing her heart. "What are you doing here?" She asked. "More importantly, how did you get in?" She said.

"I wanted to talk to you about Tristan." Rory sighed and set her purse down on the counter. "And I happen to know my way around a lock." He said as he pointed to a tool kit on the table next to him with a guilty smile. "Petty theft." He said, raising the Academy dog tags off his neck. "We weren't always the good guys."

"I recall." She sighed, exasperated. She had been having a hard day, and frankly, talking about Tristan was the last thing she wanted to do right now. "So what has you breaking into my house?" She asked as she sat down at the table with a bottle of vodka and two glasses.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Rory paused.

"In person?" Josh nodded. "Two weeks ago. What about you?"

"He stopped answering my calls. I think he knows that I would kick his ass if I saw him in person."

"Well at least he still answers my calls." She paused. "I've become officially resigned to being that girl who sits at home and waits for a guy to call her." Josh shook his head.

"I'm sorry. You deserve better than that." She shrugged.

"It's better than nothing." She said pathetically as she poured herself a drink. She offered the bottle to Josh but he shook his head.

"Nope. None for me. I gave him time to sulk, now it's time to kick his ass into gear." Josh said, standing up. She smiled. "You don't mind, do you?" He asked.

"Just be careful with his shoulder." She said.

"That's the problem." Josh said. "He was doing well and suddenly he was reminded that he was human and it freaked him out."

"Weakness was always his biggest fear. He gets that from Hartford. Never show a weakness. Never show anything actually." Rory said. "But I thought that was the old him, I thought he had gotten over that."

"Yeah, the army does a lot of things, but making you softer isn't one of them." Josh said. Rory sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder if I did more damage by inviting him to stay here at the beginning. He just looked so broken and I wanted to help, but it seems like I put more pressure on him than anything." Josh shook his head and sat back down.

"Rory, listen to me. You were the best thing that could have happened to him. I believe that, and Tristan believes that too. Drew and I just have to remind him why."

"Do you think that he's going to be okay?" Rory asked softly as she ran a finger around the rim of her now empty glass.

"Yeah, he's tough. That's a good thing. He's going to have to be tough by the time that I get through with him." Josh said, his frustration peaking with every sad glance from Rory.

"Don't be too hard on him. He's going through something right now. He'll shut down completely if he's not ready to deal. How do you think he ended up at the Academy to begin with?"

"Then I've got to find out what he's trying to ignore. Tough love right?" Rory glanced over, not so sure. "Trust me, we've done this to each other before, it's always worked out."

"If you say so."

"He'll be here within the next couple of days groveling." Josh said as he patted the top of Rory's head. "I promise."

OOOOO

Tristan sat in his living room as someone knocked on his door. He debated answering it, but knew that it was either someone he knew and didn't want to talk to, or it was someone he didn't know and didn't need to talk to. He figured it was probably Josh, a fact that was confirmed as the door knob jiggled and the sound of picks scraping against metal found their way to his ears.

"'The Locksmith' strikes again." Tristan muttered as Josh walked into the living room.

"That's the second time I've had to do that today." Josh said as he threw his bag on the ground. "What the Hell, man?" He asked, stretching his arms. "You're not answering my calls. I thought that you had died. Even Rory couldn't actually confirm that you were still breathing." Tristan had known his friend long enough to hear the restrained anger in his voice. And in all honesty, Josh probably had the right to be mad, but Tristan couldn't muster up the emotion to care. It was an unexpected bonus of the pain meds he had currently coursing through his bloodstream.

"I haven't been that bad." Tristan said.

"If you saw Rory's face when I stopped by, you would know that it was that bad." Josh could have sworn he saw a flash of guilt briefly show on Tristan's face.

"She doesn't have to worry. Contrary to popular belief, I can handle myself." He said as he reached for a glass of water.

"Did it ever occur to you that this might have nothing to do with your independence? She needs you. She's a mess without you." Tristan didn't answer, just swallowed another pill.

"How's your shoulder doing?" Josh asked.

"It's feeling better." Tristan lied.

"You've got a big ol' bottle of pills in your hand that says otherwise." Josh pointed out.

"Don't worry about it."

"Actually, it's not the pain in your shoulder that worries me. It's all the rest of it."

"What are you talking about?" Tristan asked, wondering where that statement had come from.

"Have you called about that job?" Josh asked, one eyebrow raised. Tristan avoided his stare. "You moved out on Rory so you could put your life together, but you haven't done a thing to move forward. We figured you needed some time to adjust, but now you're rationing your time with Rory, practically avoiding your friends? You're withdrawing from everyone who loves you and drowning all your pain in those damn pills and I want to know why!"

"We're not doing this." Tristan said, walking out of the room.

"You better fucking believe that we are." Josh said, following right behind him. "You're going to tell me what the Hell is going on in that brain of yours, even if it kills both of us in the process."

"This isn't some fight that you can fix by applying some peer pressure Masters. It's _my_ life." Tristan emphasized.

"I'm not running away from this, unlike some people I know." Tristan sent him a glare that made it quite clear he had crossed a line.

"I think it's time that you left." Tristan said, pointing to the door.

"No." Josh said.

"Get the Hell out of my house!" Tristan yelled.

"No!" Josh said again. "What are you so afraid of?!" He yelled.

"Everything!" Tristan yelled back his answer at his friend, mostly in the hopes that he would leave him alone. They were both so surprised by the fact that it escaped Tristan's lips that the room fell silent. Slowly, Josh smiled.

"Finally." He said. "Now we are getting somewhere." Tristan turned around and rolled his eyes, still angry with his friend. "This is usually the part of the fight where I leave you alone to let you think and then tag team with Drew who handles the emotional side of things. Do you want to talk to him or me?" Josh asked. "Or better yet, do you want to talk to Rory?" Tristan's breathing was still erratic, but he sighed and sat back down on the couch.

"Drew's fine." He muttered, his head in his hands. Sometimes he really hated having one friend who was such a ball buster and another who was a certified military trauma counselor. Dealing with both of them at the same time could give a man whiplash. Josh smiled victoriously and left the apartment without another word.

OOOOO

Josh tapped on the glass of the passenger side of his car. Drew looked up from his magazine in surprise. He rolled down the window and glanced at his watch, impressed.

"That's a record, even for you." He said.

"He's all yours." Josh smiled proudly.

OOOOO

"Dr. Drew at your service." Drew said as he sat down on the couch next to Tristan.

"That was fast."

"I was in the car." Drew smiled. "I knew that Josh could break you. He wasn't going to leave until someone was dead, but even I was surprised at how fast he did it. I only got through the first half of my magazine."

"I've really been an asshole, haven't I?" Tristan realized.

"Yes you have." Drew nodded. "But it's okay, it's all fixable."

"Is it?" He asked.

"Yes, but first we have to discuss what it was that caused this downward spiral of jackass-ness." Tristan exhaled sharply and closed his eyes. What did cause it? He didn't even know.

"Would you believe me if I said I didn't know?" Drew stayed silent, waiting for Tristan to work through it out loud.

"Did it start before or after your trip to Iraq?" Drew asked him.

"Rory knew that I was…reluctant…to get attached before we left. But when we were there, something happened to our relationship, it just flew into overdrive. Suddenly, she could see me for who I really was, and not for some wounded old classmate. She loved it. I loved it. I felt…whole again, for the first time since the accident. Actually I felt better than whole, because I had Rory." Drew nodded. "But it also showed me that I wasn't that guy anymore, I couldn't be that guy anymore. I didn't have a purpose. When I got back, I felt…lost."

"Why can't you be that person here?"

"I have no skills." Tristan said. "I've been in the army my whole adult life. It's the only thing I know how to do."

"Then why are you walking away from it?" Tristan paused. "If you love it, if you're good at it, then you should keep doing it."

"I was tired of it, and scared that I wasn't on the top of my game anymore. And now there's Rory."

"Yes. What about Rory?" Drew asked, his slightly sarcastic tone not going unnoticed by Tristan.

"What?"

"You moved in with her, you love her, why did you move out?"

"I told you that. I wanted to find myself again. Figure out who I was here."

"And you thought that by cutting yourself off from others, you would be able to stand on your own two feet again?"

"I guess so. I didn't want to cut myself off; I just wanted…" he searched for the right word "space, to figure things out."

"And did you feel more independent when you had your space?" Tristan sighed.

"I didn't have time to enjoy it. As soon as I moved in, my shoulder gave out."

"And how did that make you feel?" Broken, weak, helpless. Tristan listed off the words in his head, but he didn't have the nerve to say them aloud. Drew waited for an answer.

"Weak." Drew nodded.

"Maybe unworthy?" He suggested. Tristan glanced at his friend.

"Of what?" He asked.

"I don't know, you tell me. Unworthy of Rory, unworthy of your second chance..." He offered.

"I've always felt unworthy of Rory, since the day I met her. It's a constant feeling."

"She doesn't seem to think that's true. She thinks very highly of you."

"Lord knows why." Drew sighed.

"But what caused you to all but leave your relationship with her?"

"Grayson." Drew furrowed his eyes in confusion. "When I was just about to get on the plane home, he ran out to stop me, pulled me aside and told me something."

"What did he say?"

"Well, he loved Rory from the get go." Tristan explained. Drew smiled. "They understood each other. He complimented me on finding someone like her but then he said that I had been one of the best soldiers he had ever had under his command, and that if I was half the man I was on base…" Tristan paused as his throat swelled up on him. "If I was half the man I was on base when I was off, that we would be perfect for one another." Drew was stunned. Grayson was known for many things, but compliments on any level were non-existent. "And the entire plane ride home I just kept thinking about what he had said, and what Rory had said about me being a completely different person at home and I realized that I wasn't half the man I was on base." Drew remained silent, trying to process what Tristan must have been thinking. "And I guess the shoulder was just the final nail in the coffin for my pride."

"And the pain killers?" Drew asked, finally speaking again.

"A convenient way to deal with my issues?" Tristan offered, acknowledging the fact that he probably was taking them more than he should be.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I have no idea." Tristan said, feeling helpless.

"You need to talk to Rory." Tristan sighed. "It's the only way to resolve whatever it is that you are going through. Pushing her away has made everything worse." Tristan didn't respond. "Am I wrong?" Drew asked, wanting to be understood.

"No." Tristan sulked like a two year old who was being scolded.

"Alright then. Call me and let me know how it goes." He said, patting his friend's shoulder.

"That's it?"

"That's it. Talk to Rory." He repeated. "Soon." And with that final word, Drew walked out of the apartment, leaving Tristan alone to contemplate his next move.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: This is dedicated to my anonymous reviewer. Thank you so much for your kind review! I wish I could have responded to you directly, but I am proud and honored that you chose this story to be your first review! I hope you all like this chapter. I got serious writer's block when writing it, so I feel like it's not very good. This story gets harder and harder for me to write! Hopefully the next update won't take as long but I'm not making any promises.

When Rory opened the door, she was shocked by what she saw. Tristan was standing at her doorstep, looking awful. She didn't say anything, just stared at him, waiting for an explanation for his behavior.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I know that I don't deserve it, but can I come in and explain?" He requested. She sighed and let him in. She wanted to slam the door in his face, but in all reality, she figured that she would never see him again if she did that.

"Josh works quickly." Rory spoke indifferently as she sat down on the couch.

"He and Drew double teamed me actually." Tristan said, embarrassed with himself and not quite sure what to say to make it okay.

"Which means that I'm the only one left on the Apologies tour?" She knew that her tone was rude, but frankly, she didn't care. It was her turn to be rude.

"Pretty much." Tristan said. "But before I do that, I have to ask you a question." Rory met his eyes. "Why do you love me?" Tristan asked, point blank, before he lost the nerve. His need for an answer took her by surprise. "That is, if you still think that you can after my recent behavior."

"Why are you asking me that?" Rory asked.

"I have no idea why you would want to be with me when I'm so messed up." Rory was giving him a sympathetic look. How could she stay mad at him when he was feeling like that? Her heart fell to her stomach and she sighed. She scooted closer to him and placed her hand on top of his.

"I love you," she started, "because when I see you, no matter how I'm feeling, my heart skips a little bit in my chest." She smiled. "And because you call me Mary, even though you know that I'm not that little girl anymore." He couldn't fight the small smile that broke out on his face, even if it was only temporary. "And I love the way that your eyes scan my body every time I walk into the room, whether I'm wearing pajamas or a dress, and you don't think that I notice, but I do." He smiled guiltily and looked down at his feet. "You make me feel beautiful and wanted." She squeezed his hand. "I love you because every single person that I spoke to while I was in Iraq said that you were the best soldier that they knew, whether they were privates or generals. You finally figured out how to use that charisma and leadership for good instead of for evil." She smiled, but she paused to swallow the growing lump in her throat as she thought about her next one. "I love that you wait to whisper I love you until just before I fall asleep, so that it's the last thing I'm thinking about when I go to bed." She took another deep breath. "I love the fact that even though you've been up for hours, you never get out of bed because you don't want to move me from your arms. And that your pillow smells like you, even days after you've left." Her voice breaking made Tristan want to die. Her tears were starting to fall now and he removed his hand from hers to brush them off her cheeks.

"Shhh." He said, not wanting to see her cry. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry if…" She started but Tristan cut her off.

"Don't say that." He said sternly. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I know that you love me. I never doubted it for a second." He said with such conviction she had to look him in the eye.

"Then why did you leave?" She asked.

"Because I don't know why you do! It scares the Hell out of me." He said.

"Do you love me?" She asked him.

"Of course I do."

"Why?" She asked him.

"Are you kidding?" He laughed. "What's not to love? You're smart, beautiful, kind… you're perfect."

"Then why can't you understand that I feel the same way about you?" She asked him.

"I guess, because I feel like I can't live up to it." He said for the first time out loud. "You see me as this person that I don't know how to be." He said. "You look at me with that look of yours, your eyes filled with adoration and love and it actually makes me feel worse because I don't feel like I deserve it. I feel like someday you're going to wake up and realize that I'm not that person."

"And who is the real you?" She asked, wanting to know. "How do you see yourself?" He thought about his next sentence very carefully.

"I've never succeeded at anything in my life outside of the army. You say that I was a different person on base, well that was true. I am. I have a place there. I can be something there. Outside of that, I feel…" He paused, not sure of how he felt.

"Seventeen." Rory muttered the realization to herself. Why hadn't she seen this before? Tristan stopped and looked at her as if he had heard her incorrectly. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "This feeling, this version of you that you are seeing, it's you at seventeen." Rory said. "Your last life here sucked." She said. "You were in love with a girl who wouldn't give you the time of day, your father was constantly telling you how worthless you were, and that is the last memory you have of civilian life. No wonder you're scared of it." She paused when she noticed Tristan's hands were shaking. She placed her own hands over his own. "You're terrified that you are going to screw up, but what you don't realize is that you aren't that seventeen year old kid anymore Tristan. The army wasn't a bubble where you could hide away, start over, and become someone else. You became the real you. The you that I so desperately wanted to see back in high school because I always saw it inside of you. You grew up. You became that man. The confident guy doesn't magically appear when you put on a uniform Tristan, he's always there. You just have to realize it."

"I'm not seventeen." He said aloud, mulling over her statement. It was with that last piece of information that Tristan finally broke through his issues. Everything that he had been running from, trying to be, all the pressure to live up to Rory's standards, he had done to himself. He rubbed his hands over his face and took in a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I don't know anymore." He gave up with a heavy sigh. "I'm so sorry that I brought you into all of this."

"I told you, Tristan, the minute I walked into your hospital room, I brought myself in."

"But I didn't make it any easier for you." He said, feeling terrible. "Do you think that you could ever forgive me?" Rory looked at him thoughtfully, unsure of what she could say. Tristan saw the hesitance and for the first time, he realized that he might have screwed up his shot with her.

"Of course I forgive you." She said to reassure him. "I'm just wondering whether or not you can handle this." She said honestly. "Are you ready for this?"

"There's nothing I want more than to try." He said, taking her hand in his. "I know I screwed up Rory. And I'm not stupid enough to think that I can make it up to you, but I want to show you how serious I am. I want to make this work." He told her. She sighed.

"A relationship requires honesty, Tristan. And you're going to have to rely on me sometimes, the way that I rely on you."

"I know that now." He nodded. "Trust me, without you, my life was a scary place."

"We're going to have to take it one day at a time." She reminded him.

"I know. Until then, just love me and I'll love you." He said.

OOOOO

Rory set the last plate on the table as she listened to Tristan explain his potential new career as an ROTC guy.

"So Josh thinks that I would be perfect for it." Tristan told her as she sat down across from him. "What do you think?"

"I think that it's a good idea. You get to keep doing what you love, but you get to come home at night."

"I don't know." Tristan said. "Can you really see me being a teacher?" He asked her.

"I'm not saying that it's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of a job placement for you," she admitted, "but you would be a great mentor. Your guys love you. I know that you have the leadership experience." Tristan looked at her. "Where would you be today if it weren't for the Academy?" She asked him. He shrugged. "Tristan, you could change someone's life like that."

"So you think I should call him?"

"Yes. I think you should call him."

"Okay then." He said, picking up his fork. "Hey, is my stuff still under the sink?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Would you mind if I stayed here tonight?"

"Not at all." She replied, a surprised smile gracing her features. While Tristan was acting like what he had just asked was no big deal, Rory knew how important that simple question was to their relationship.

OOOOO

Tristan woke up abruptly, his chest heaving as he gasped for more oxygen. He wiped the sweat off his forehead as he glanced to his left. Rory was still sleeping peacefully. The ache in his shoulder was growing as the pills that he usually took to sleep were at his apartment. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and steadied himself before walking to the bathroom. He ran a washcloth under the faucet and wiped his face clean with his good hand. It had only been a couple of months, but Tristan was fairly certain this is what withdrawl felt like. He sat down on the edge of her bathtub, wondering how he had gotten to this point. He knew what he had to do. The first thing he was doing when he got home was throwing away those pills.

"Hey." Rory said as she walked into the bathroom. She noticed the way he was cradling his shoulder and sat down next to him.

"I didn't mean to wake you." He said.

"It's okay." She said, taking the washcloth from his hand and wiping down the back of his neck. "Is there anything I can do?" She asked. Her voice was not sympathetic in the slightest, in fact, it was sort of cold.

"No." Tristan said. "Thanks though." She nodded.

"Well, it's only supposed to last a few days. You can stay here while it works itself out of your system. I've already locked everything away." She told him. "I'll send the guys to clean out your apartment." She said as she stood up and walked out of the room again. He stood up and went to her medicine cabinet where her pills used to be. Sure enough, they were all gone. Tristan shook his head at his girlfriend's preparedness. Knowing her, she had researched detoxing long before he asked to spend the night.

OOOOO

Rory had insisted on taking the next few days off of work to stay home with Tristan. He had assured her that it was unnecessary, but she wanted to make sure that he couldn't get his hands on any pills for a while. Tristan hated knowing that he had caused this mistrust of his behavior, but he also know that he deserved to be second-guessed. If it were the other way around, he wouldn't trust her either.

"How are you feeling?" Rory asked as she sat down next to him in the living room. "You look better."

"I am. It was just those first two days. Now I'm feeling fine."

"And your shoulder?" She asked, knowing that he must be in some pain.

"Will survive." He replied before flashing a smile at her. It didn't answer her question, and they both knew it. "I love you for worrying about me, but honestly, you're going to drive yourself crazy."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time." She said with a smile.

OOOOO

"Hey Lorelei, I need your help." Tristan said as he hid out in the office that used to be his bedroom.

"Why are you whispering?" She whispered back.

"Rory's going nuts trying to take care of me. She even took the week off from work. I need something to take her mind off of this, remind her to have some fun. Any ideas?" Lorelei thought about it.

"I can have something by Friday morning." She said, knowing exactly what she was going to do.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it."

"How are you feeling?" Lorelei asked.

"Infinitely better." He said honestly. "Your daughter saved my life." He admitted.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time." Lorelei said, causing Tristan to smile. He knew that the pair had no idea just how similar they actually were, but sometimes, it was just creepy. "I'm glad you're feeling better. If you need anything else, just let me know."

"Thanks. Have a good night." He said as he hung up the phone.

OOOOO

Tristan was in the bedroom when he heard Rory's scream.

"Ror?" He yelled as he went out to the living room. "Are you ok…" He didn't have time to finish as Rory had her arms wrapped around someone.

"Oh, sorry." She said with a guilty smile as she let the man go. "Tristan, I want to introduce you to someone." She said. "This is Jess Mariano, Luke's nephew. Jess, this is Tristan."

"Hi." Jess said.

"Nice to meet you." Tristan said, sticking out his hand.

"Jess had business in town and stopped by for a surprise visit." The smile on her face showed just how excited she was about this scenario.

"Oh really? What brings you to Boston?" Tristan asked, playing dumb.

"I'm an editor. I work out of this independent publishing house in Philly."

"His publishing house." Rory added with pride.

"Not mine, I own it with a few other people."

"Very cool." Tristan said, before turning to Rory. "Josh just called, we're getting lunch. Do you need anything while I'm gone?"

"No. When are you going to be back?" She asked.

"I don't know. I'll give you a call if we run long." He said, kissing her briefly. "It was nice meeting you Jess."

"You too." He said before glancing at Rory's face for any sign of suspicion on their part. Just like that, Tristan was out the door.

"And then there were two." Rory said, trying to ignore the feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. "So, what do you have time for? Lunch?"

"I've got the whole afternoon free."

"So not enough time to hit a bookstore?" Rory asked with a grin.

"I think I can make an exception." He said, knowing it would make her happy.

OOOOO

As soon as Tristan hit his car, he dialed Josh's number.

"I'm on my way over." He told his friend.

"Rory let you out of the house?"

"Long story. If she asks, we went to lunch." Josh sighed. "I'll explain everything when I get there." He said, hanging up the phone and throwing it on the car seat next to him.


	12. Chapter 12

"I can't believe that you are actually here, standing next to me." Rory smiled as she put down the book that she was reading the back cover of. "You have perfect timing."

"Yeah, I guess so." Jess said, forcing a smile. Rory caught the look and watched as he walked to the other side of the table.

"What?" She asked, knowing something was up.

"Nothing." He said as he walked further from her. She followed him into the next section of books and watched as he picked one up, her best withering stare burning holes into the back of his jacket. Without even turning around, he sighed and put the book back on the shelf. "I wasn't here on business." Rory kept staring, waiting for him to continue. "Tristan called your mom and told her that you had locked yourself in the house with him and that you needed to get out and have some fun. He asked her to come up with something that would take your mind off of him for a while, and she called me."

"Tristan called my mom?" She said, surprised by the action. Jess nodded. "And she called you?"

"I would have come up if you had called me and told me what was going on anyway." He said. "I can't believe you didn't tell me."

"About what?"

"About what? About him!" He raised his voice enough that people looked over to make sure the two were okay.

"I told you about him." Rory whispered harshly.

"You told me that you were writing a column and he was in it and I thought 'Isn't that a coincidence after all these years.' You never told me that you were living together or that you left the freaking country to go to a warzone because of him."

"Well, he needed a place to stay for a while. And as for Iraq, I should have told you I was leaving the country. I'm sorry." She said, a small smile appearing at his over-reaction to the topic.

"Oh, don't patronize me. Look, I came here to get your mind off of Tristan, so we don't have to talk about this if you don't want to, but in the future, if you could inform one of your best friends of situations that involve you going to a foreign country or letting a stranger move in with you, I would be forever grateful."

"Okay." She said. "I'm sorry." She said, more sincerely this time. Jess glanced over her shoulder and put his hands in his jacket pockets. It was a move that was so uniquely his, she couldn't help but smile.

"What?" He asked, uncomfortable.

"I miss you."

"No you don't." He said, shaking his head and walking towards the front of the store.

"I do too! I miss you. Why do you have to live so far away?" She asked as she linked her arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder.

"You moved. I haven't. Besides, I'm only like five hours away." He said, not bothering to shrug her off. He would never admit it, but he missed her too.

"You should move to Boston." She said, liking that idea. He laughed out loud at the thought.

"You must be crazy."

"Hey, last time I told someone to move to Boston, he did." She smiled triumphantly. "I just thought that maybe if I could be really persuasive..."

"Yeah well, you're not sleeping with me so you can't be that persuasive." He smiled.

"Touché." She said.

OOOOO

"Hello?" Tristan called out as he entered Josh's house without knocking.

"Hey. Out back." He yelled from the patio.

"What's going on?" Tristan asked as he opened the grill to examine what was for lunch.

"Eh, just trying to figure out why I'm going to have to lie to Rory." Josh stated from his chair without bothering to open his eyes.

"You don't have to. I'm here for lunch. Ergo, I'm not lying, and neither are you."

"Keep justifying it." Josh replied. "But seriously, why are you here? You're supposed to be on lockdown."

"I was, but so was she. She needed a break, so I called her mom and asked her to help me find something fun that would get her mind off of the last month and all the drama that's been going on with us lately."

"And?"

"She called Rory's best friend. He showed up today to surprise her."

"He?" Josh raised his eyebrow. "Who is this guy? Do we trust him?" Tristan liked that Josh and Drew took the time to worry.

"He," Tristan paused, "is Jess Mariano. Her step-cousin."

"Really?" Tristan nodded.

"Apparently, he's a publisher or author or both? I don't know. I haven't heard anything about him really. But I haven't seen her smile like that in a long time."

"So why are you here secretly?"

"I just figured that she needed some time alone. So I'm giving her space." Josh groaned at his choice of words. "Not like last time. I promise. This is strictly for her."

OOOOO

"Tristan's not back yet." Rory said, a touch of emotion in her voice as she shut the front door. The action didn't get by Jess, who knew every one of Rory's faces, even without looking at her.

"Okay, I know that I told you that you didn't have to think about it, but I went all day and now I have to ask." Jess said. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be better when he's better."

"That doesn't answer my question." He said.

"I don't know how I'm feeling. Sometimes part of me is so angry that he did this, and the other half just wants to hold him until it all goes away."

"Ror, what do you expect?"

"I know. Any other person would be dead right now. I'm just thankful that he's getting it sorted out."

"Do you want me to stay until tomorrow? I don't have to be back until Monday." She smiled.

"No, but thanks for the offer."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure. This is about him." She paused. "I am a little concerned that he called my mother though. Maybe I'm being too pushy."

"Maybe pushy is exactly what he needs right now." Jess said.

"What do you mean?"

"More than one guy has been straightened out by you." He pointed out. "Still, I must admit, you do a good job. I mean, you almost married the last fixer-upper." Rory closed her eyes, trying to ignore Jess's comment about Logan.

"Okay, so maybe I do have a genetic tendency to be attracted to guys that are bad for me." She admitted. "But I have honestly loved them all, even the reformed ones." She smiled at him. She stopped as she heard the front door opening and voices entering.

"Hello?" Rory called out, wondering who it could be.

"Hey. It's just us." Jess watched as Rory smiled. He had watched her go through a lot of boyfriends, but she had never smiled like that before.

"Who's us?" She asked as Tristan came through the doorway and into the kitchen.

"Who else?" Drew asked as he and Josh came in directly after Tristan.

"Boys, this is my cousin, Jess Mariano. Jess, this is Josh Masters and Drew Anderson." They each waved at the calling of their name. "The other two boys mentioned in my column from time to time."

"Nice to meet you." Jess said.

"How was lunch?" Rory asked.

"Good. Josh made burgers." Drew smiled.

"Really?" Rory glanced over to Josh, who was busy checking his phone. He nodded absent-mindedly. Drew glanced down as his own phone beeped as well.

"Yeah, I, uh, make a mean burger." Josh said, putting his best fake face on. Tristan could feel his guts sink to his stomach. There was only one reason why Josh and Drew would be getting an email at the same time. Drew's soft clearing of his throat told him that he was right. The kitchen fell silent as the three men looked at each other. Rory and Jess sat at the table and glanced at each other, unsure of what was happening.

"Well, I should get going. It's a long way back to Philadelphia." Jess said quietly, standing up.

"Okay, I'll walk you out." She said, figuring leaving the kitchen would be a good idea. Tristan watched as the two of them left and waited until he heard the front door close.

"Fight or Flight?" Tristan asked, wanting to confirm what they knew and he didn't. It was a saying they had created a long time ago. There were only two mass emails that were sent out that could cause those looks. Either someone they knew had died fighting or they were being deployed again.

"Flight." Josh muttered quietly.

"We leave for Afghanistan in four weeks." Drew said.

"Jesus." Tristan said. They had always been sent to Iraq. It never occurred to him that they would be sent somewhere else. He knew that this was going to happen eventually, but it seemed like it happened so quickly. They all looked to the door as they heard Rory enter the house again. She stayed in the living room, not wanting to disrupt whatever was happening in the kitchen.

"Should we tell her?" Josh asked quietly, wanting to know what Tristan thought. He shrugged.

"She's going to find out eventually. But if you guys don't want to tell her right now, I'll do it after you leave." He said, stepping up to the plate.

"No, it should be now." Drew said, his therapy voice coming out. "It should come from us." Josh sighed and nodded. He headed straight for the living room before he lost his nerve. Tristan tagged behind, not sure he wanted to hear the actual words come out of their mouths. He put on his straight face and headed into the living room. Rory was staring at the three of them, trying not to assume anything.

"I'm not going to ask." Rory said, breaking the silence. "I figure that you will tell me if it's any of my business." Tristan felt his heart fill up a little with gratitude at her statement. He knew how hard that must be for her to say. Her effort to make them all comfortable made him fall in love with her even more. On the other hand, if he were to let any emotions really sink in right now, he didn't know how he would handle it. He pushed the feelings back down to his gut and remembered why he was sitting here.

"It's your business." Josh said as he sat down next to her on the couch. "Our vacation is over. We got issued our deployment orders. We leave next month." Rory sighed and grabbed his hand.

"For?"

"Afghanistan." She exhaled sharply. They gave her a few seconds to process.

"Do you know how long you'll be gone?" They both shook their heads.

"Don't worry. We'll both be office guys from here on out. We won't be in any danger." Drew reassured her, and by default, Tristan. He knew that he would be just as worried as his girlfriend, if not more so.

"You know that for sure?" Rory asked. Drew nodded and smiled for her. "Good. That makes me feel a little better."

"And if you need anything, we'll just be a phone call away." Tristan told them. "Supplies, food, whatever." Rory looked at Tristan for the first time since he had entered the room. It hadn't occurred to her that he was going to feel left out, but she could see the look creeping onto his features. He shifted under her gaze.

"Speaking of food, why don't we order some pizza tonight." Rory suggested, reminding them all of her visits to the hospital. Pizza was their group thing, something the four of them first bonded over.

"Good idea." Tristan said, grateful for something to do. "I'll go order it right now." He smiled at her.

"Hey, and we'll write about everything. Keep you updated on what's going on. Maybe you can use some of it in your column." Josh smiled at Rory. She couldn't handle all the smiles. She knew that they were trying their damndest to comfort her, and possibly Tristan, and maybe even themselves, but it was too unnerving. She wanted the truth.

"Can we be honest here?" Rory asked, now that Tristan was gone. "Please?" She asked Drew, who she knew was the most mature and open one of them all. "What are you really thinking about all this?"

"Ror, this is what we do. It's our job. We've been doing this for ten years and we'll be doing it for another five, whether we are living here or there. If we didn't want to be there, we wouldn't have re-enlisted." Josh told her.

"It scares me to think about you guys being so calm about this."

"Do you remember Tristan on base?" Drew said, remembering Tristan's conversation with him about the Colonial. Rory thought about how he smiled, how he walked around, and falling in love with him simply from watching him walk towards her.

"Yeah."

"It's our home. It's where we are most comfortable. All of our brothers are there."

"I know you're right." She paused as she looked towards the kitchen and lowered her voice. "Do you think that he is going to miss it?" Rory asked.

"He's going to feel left out, maybe a little restless, but when that happens, you're going to have to remind him why it's important that he stayed here." Drew said. Rory nodded.

"And keep us updated if he starts acting up again. We can kick his ass over the phone." Josh said.

"I never thanked you for what you guys did. It meant a lot. To both of us." Rory said. They both shook their heads, not wanting any of the credit.

"Pizza's on its way." Tristan said as he came back into the living room. "I'm going to go out and get some beer."

"Awesome." Josh smiled without missing a beat. "I'll join you." Rory smiled as she watched the two men leave. As soon as they were gone, she looked at Drew with a pout. He just smiled and wrapped an arm around her. "You two need this. We won't be here to remind him of what he lost, and you'll be here to remind him of what he gained. This will be a good thing for him Rory, I promise." She just sighed and set her head down on Drew's shoulder.

"I hope you're right."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I'm so sorry about the delay on this story! Thanks for your patience. I've pretty much written the rest of the story while trying to find inspiration for this chapter. So the good news is that the rest of the story should be updated and finished quickly. As for Matchmakers, that's going to be a while I think, but we'll see. This chapter is dedicated to crazyarmywife for her kind review of Walking Away.

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing

Tristan sighed as he paused in front of the door. He had put off coming home long enough. It was time to just get it over with. He opened the door and was greeted by Rory sitting in her usual position on the floor. With all of her furniture, her favorite place to work was with her back against the bottom of the couch and stacks of paper surrounding her.

"Hey, how was your day?" She asked as she put down the notebook she was holding.

"I don't know, okay I guess." He said honestly as he hung up his jacket.

"What happened?" She asked as she cleared a space for him on the couch.

"I got an email from the guys in my unit. Havens finished the job on my hit." He said as he sat down. He watched as it took her a second to process what he was talking about.

"The guy who…" She asked as she pointed to him. He nodded. She sighed and looked at him again, this time analyzing his features. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked quietly as he watched her move gracefully around the stacks of papers to sit beside him on the couch.

"Honestly, I don't know what to say. They had a job to do, and they did it." Tristan shrugged. "I guess I thought that I would feel a sense of… closure?" Rory nodded. "But nothing has changed. Just another day in the life of Tristan DuGray." He said with a small smile.

"Have you talked to Josh and Drew?" Tristan shook his head.

"They got the same email I did, but I haven't talked to them about it."

"What do you need?" She asked. "Time? Space? A sounding board? What can I do?" Tristan glanced over at her and smiled before kissing her slowly.

"I love you for asking." He said, leaning his forehead against hers. "But really, I'm okay."

"Good." Rory smiled softly.

"I did miss you today though." He told her as his arm moved around her waist and pulled her body sideways so that it would be closer to him.

"Did you?" The look in his eye was quickly dissolving from love to desire.

"Mmhm." His lips traced up her jawline before finding their way to her ear. She cocked her head to the side, pulling away from him.

"Tris, look around. I've got work to do." She said.

"Take a break." He said with a smirk.

"I can't. It's due by tomorrow morning and I've got a lot more to write yet." She said. "I've got to keep working."

"Ten minutes?" He asked. She glanced down at the pile of papers on the floor. They both knew that if she gave him ten minutes, he would get at least an hour.

"When have we ever been able to stick to only ten minutes?" She asked him. "The sooner I get this finished, the sooner ..."

"Mary…" Tristan punctuated her excuses with an exasperated sigh, throwing his head back against the couch. Rory glanced back down at her work one more time.

"Fine. But ten minutes means ten minutes." She said, trying to be stern. But as Tristan pushed her down onto the couch, smiling victoriously, she couldn't help but giggle.

OOOOO

Rory came home from the store and placed all of the bags of groceries on the table. She looked around for Tristan. He was in the office, talking on Skype to the guys. She could hear their muffled voices through the door, but she left them alone. Tristan never asked if she wanted to talk to them, but left it up to them to ask if Rory was around. There were certain times where Rory knew she was being left out of the loop because the boys were either in danger, or too tired to pretend to be happy for her. She didn't know why they felt the need to exclude her from the information that they filled Tristan in on, but she understood that all three of them felt the need to do so. She trusted their judgment. Just as she was finishing up unloading all of the bags, Tristan stuck his head out of the office door.

"Ror? The guys are on the phone." She smiled. It must be a good day.

"Be right there." She said as she put the milk in the fridge. She shut the refrigerator door and headed for the office.

"Hey guys." She said as she sat down in Tristan's chair. "How are you doing?"

"We're great. We just got our orders for leave. We're going to be coming home for a week." Rory's eyes lit up.

"Really?" They nodded. "That's fantastic news." She said. "Oh, I'm so excited. Do you know when you are getting back?"

"Not yet." Josh said.

"And are you being safe like you promised?" She said, unable to fight the mother-like tone that suddenly inhabited her voice.

"Yes." Drew and Josh said in unison. "How are you doing? Is Tristan behaving?" Drew asked with a smile.

"He's been wonderful." Rory smiled. "He loves his job and he's really good at it, or so I've been told."

"Good." Drew said.

"What about you? How's work?" Josh asked.

"The same. Busier than ever." She said.

"I just ran into a colleague of yours, David Schwartz." Rory smiled.

"And how is David?" She asked as Tristan walked back into the room.

"Eh, you know. He's like you, but with a camera." Josh said. Rory laughed.

"Nosey?" Tristan offered from behind her.

"Aren't they all?" Josh said as Rory hit Tristan across the arm. He didn't even flinch as he kept smiling.

"Weak…" Drew said, shaking his head in disappointment at Rory.

"Hey, just so you know, you're not going to be hearing from us for awhile." Josh said. "We're going to be doing some travelling." Rory glanced at Tristan, expecting that to be some sort of secret army code that she wasn't supposed to know.

"Everything okay?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, just business. Nothing big."

"Would you tell us if it was?" Rory asked, knowing the answer was probably no.

"Hey!" Josh said, sounding wrongly accused. "I would tell Tristan the truth and he could choose to lie to you if he thought it was for the best." Rory smiled. "But it's really just travelling. We push paper now, remember?"

"Be careful anyway, please?" Rory asked. Josh just nodded.

"Speaking of being careful, did you hear about Havens?" Drew asked Tristan.

"Yeah, I did." Tristan said.

"Looks like you trained him well." Josh said. "Took the guy out before he even looked up." It was hard for Rory to be sympathetic for the man who had tried to, and nearly succeeded in, taking Tristan's life. However, it was just as hard for her to listen to the men whom she loved, who she knew were so good-hearted, kind, and charming, discussing killing other men so callously. She left and allowed them a few more minutes of shop talk.

"Time to say goodbye. Drew has to be at work in a few minutes and we're on his computer."

"Paperwork awaits." Drew said. "You wanna trade places?" He asked Tristan, as Rory had rejoined the conversation by sitting on the arm of Tristan's chair. Tristan smiled at Rory and shook his head.

"I'm good." He said.

"Alright. See you later." Drew said before signing off.

"Bye."

OOOOO

Rory's phone rang. She groaned as she recognized the specialized ringtone. It was from work.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Rory, this is Steve." Her editor was calling her on a Saturday? That was never a good sign. She swallowed.

"Hi Steve." She said, trying to sound cheery instead of dreading whatever was about to come.

"We just received a phone call from Afghanistan from David Schwartz at the New York Times." There was a pause. "It seems that one of the soldiers in your column, a Josh…" She could hear papers shuffling as if he was looking for the right information.

"Masters?" Rory stopped breathing.

"Yes. He was recently involved in a helicopter crash. They believe there was some mechanical failure because they didn't get far from the base before it happened. It sounds like everyone is going to be okay, but he knew that you would want to be informed."

"Thanks. I did. If you hear anything else, please let me know." Rory's shaky voice couldn't be contained as she hung up the phone. She glanced at the clock. Tristan had been at the gym for an hour. She picked up her phone again, calling his cell.

"Pick up…Pick up…" Rory said as she paced back and forth in the kitchen. She reached his voicemail. "Stupid Gym." She muttered.

"You have reached Tristan DuGray, please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks. BEEP."

"Hey, it's me. Listen, get off the damn treadmill and answer your phone. You've got to call me back or better yet, come home. We need to talk immediately."

OOOOO

Rory was still pacing when Tristan finally made it through the front door a half an hour later.

"I got your message. I came as soon as I could. What's wrong?" He asked, checking her for visible signs that something was amiss.

"It's Josh." She said and Tristan immediately felt his stomach drop to his feet. "He was flying out to another base when his helicopter crashed, but they hadn't gotten too far from the base." She watched as his face went completely motionless as he shut down. "They don't even think he'll have to stay in the hospital but…" Rory stopped, not wanting to say anything else until he did.

"How do you know all of this?" Tristan asked, finding it hard to breath.

"That contact at another local base, David Schwartz? He recognized his name and knew that I had written about him. He called the paper and they called me." She joined him on the floor. "I've tried to Skype Drew, but he isn't answering. I have no idea if he knows or not." She expected Tristan to react to that statement, but he was still lost in his own thoughts, possibly going over army contingency plans or even just letting his worries, the ones that he always tried to keep at bay, finally surface. She couldn't be sure.

"He promised me it wasn't as bad as it sounded. And these aren't the kind of guys who sugarcoat things. And you know Josh, he's one of the toughest guys I know." Rory hoped to convince both him and her at the same time. Tristan nodded, but he still looked distracted. Rory knew that anything that happened with Josh might as well have happened to Tristan. It was the price of being inseparable. And with Tristan being out of the loop, his anxiety was sure to be even worse.

"Leave the computer on." He said, finally finding the words to speak. "Drew will contact us as soon as he can."

"I will." Rory nodded.

OOOOO

True to her word, Rory kept the computer on at all times. The laptop sat with them wherever they were. Finally, after the longest twenty four hours of their lives, the familiar tone signaled that someone was trying to reach them.

"It's Drew." Tristan said to Rory as he answered the call. "Hey." Tristan said quickly. "What's going on?"

"Hey. I got your messages. Sorry about the lack of information. Things have been sort of crazy here lately." Drew said calmly. "Everything's okay. Just a few bumps and bruises, but he's totally fine." Tristan exhaled sharply.

"Are you sure?" Rory asked.

"Damn right he's sure." They heard as the laptop was wrenched out of Drew's hands and spun around to face Josh, who was sitting in a chair, his only visible injury being a bandage on his temple and a black eye. "How many times do I have to tell you that I am just too bad ass to get killed?" Tristan's heart was racing as he finally took him in.

"If you ask me, I think he did it just to get out of doing paperwork." Drew grumbled.

"Bonus." Josh laughed.

"But you're okay?" Tristan asked.

"I knew you wouldn't believe it until you saw it. I'm perfectly _fine_." Josh emphasized again. "See?"

"Hey, don't blame us for worrying. Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to get a phone call like that?" Rory scolded him. "You promised me that you were being careful!"

"I was being careful, darlin'. I wasn't flying the damn thing." Josh said with a smile. He could really turn on the charm when he wanted to. Rory sighed and shook her head.

"Well, we're just glad you're okay." She said. Tristan nodded.

"How long are you out for?" Tristan asked.

"Probably forty-eight hours. I could go back now, but they don't want to be sued for anything."

"Well make sure that you use every ounce of that time." Rory said.

"Yes mom." Josh teased. "Whoops. Time for breakfast. Gotta run, or you know, limp." He said with a smile. "Talk to you soon."

"Thanks for calling." Rory waved goodbye as they ended the conversation. As soon as Rory shut the laptop, Tristan got up with a sigh. He headed for the kitchen and Rory waited a beat before standing up and deciding to follow him.

When she found him, he was finishing a glass of water. He set the glass down on the counter and sighed. She watched as he paused in front of the counter, his hands gripping and re-gripping the section of edging in front of him. She could only see his back, but she knew that he was trying to calm himself down.

"All that and he just looks like he got hit in the face with a fastball." Tristan said, sensing her gaze on his back. He tapped his knuckles on the counter twice before running his hand along the counter's edge. His fidgeting nature worried her, but she knew how to help him relax. Without saying a word, she slid up behind him, her left arm wrapping around his waist and her right hand running up his right shoulder. She rested her lips against his left shoulder blade and waited, just holding him still, breathing deeply and hoping that he would match her action.

"He's going to be fine." Rory muttered against his t-shirt, barely lifting her lips from his shoulder to speak.

"I know that. I've injured him worse than that." He said honestly. "So why is this happening?" He asked as he released his tight grasp on the counter and turned around to face her. He held out his hand between them and examined it. It was shaking heavily. Rory just motioned for him to sit in the closest chair. He followed her silent command, unsure of what she was going to do. He was amazed however, when she started massaging his neck and shoulders, her small hands surprisingly strong.

"The shaking is just you releasing all of that pent-up tension. You've forced yourself to be strong and now that you don't have to, your body is finally allowed to react the way it wanted to originally." Rory said. 'It's a good thing." She ran her hands through his short hair, massaging his scalp, and Tristan swore that he felt the stress evacuating his body out the top of his head. "If you didn't have a strong reaction, I would be surprised. Those boys mean more to you than anything else in this world."

"Well, I don't know about 'anything'." He said with a smile. "But don't tell them that. They still think that it's a three-way tie for first. Unless there's just one of you around, then that person is automatically my favorite."

"Whoever happens to be around at the time is your favorite?" Rory stopped her ministrations so that she could ape shock at his admission. "What does that say about you just picking me?" She asked, pulling his head back by his hair so that she could see his face.

"It means I've learned a lot since high school." He smirked.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to writingrarities. Thanks for the shoutout!

Rory watched Tristan sleeping as she propped herself up on her elbow. She traced the scars on his shoulder, chest and arm lightly with her fingertip. Tristan shifted.

"That tickles." He said groggily, not opening his eyes. Rory changed her tactic, using her lips this time.

"How is it that I'm up before you on a Saturday?" She asked, glancing at the clock.

"After last night? You shouldn't be surprised." He muttered, finally opening his eyes a little so that he could peek at her reaction to his comment. She just smiled, letting it slide.

"How about I make you some breakfast to return the favor?" She asked.

"That would require you leaving this bed." He said as he rolled over onto his stomach and trapped her tightly with his good arm. Rory knew that his shoulder probably was bothering him after all of their exercise, but didn't say anything.

"But I can smell the coffee." She said with a pout. "You know that I love you, but given the choice between the two of you…"

"Ouch." He said. "You would trade me, the love of your life, for a cup of coffee?" Rory smiled at his phrase.

"Technically, I haven't died yet, so I cannot, at this time, confirm whether or not you are the love of my life." She said, using her best journalist voice. "And yes. I would." She said. "Plus, I have to go dress shopping with Lena today."

"Lena?" He asked, clearly not knowing who she was.

"From the paper?" Tristan looked completely lost. "She's getting married in the fall? You made the joke about calling me Mary and her name being Magdalena?"

"Oh yeah." He smiled at his own joke, remembering who she was now. Rory rolled her eyes.

"It's unheard of to keep a bride waiting, and as obsessed as she is with shopping, she would never forgive me for being late." He acquiesced with a tired sigh and lifted his arm up, releasing her from his keep. "Thank you. In return, I'll bring you back some coffee." She said with a smile and a quick kiss.

OOOOO

"This is the place." Lena said as they walked up to the bridal boutique. "The designer makes all of these dresses by hand." She analyzed the window display. "Wow, look at this one." She said.

"It's beautiful." Rory said. "Do you want to try it on?"

"It's not my style. But it's definitely yours." Lena said, her eyes running up and down Rory's body. "You would look fantastic in that dress."

"If I were the one getting married, maybe I would try it on." Rory rolled her eyes and opened the shop door. "But I'm not, so let's go." She said, pushing Lena inside the store.

OOOOO

"What do you think?" Lena asked as she spun around. Rory examined the silk dress.

"Eh." She said, non-committally. Lena looked in the mirror again and nodded.

"I know. I have to find a dress that fits me the way that dress in the window fits you."

"How do you know?" Rory said. "I never even tried it on."

"Trust me. It's my job to know these things." She said, before turning to the saleswoman to explain. "I was just telling Rory that she would look fantastic in that dress in the window."

"Oh, are you getting married too?" She asked.

"No." Rory said as she shot a look at her friend. "I'm not."

"You practically are. You're living with the man." Lena said. "He's a returning veteran, so they're taking things slow." Lena felt no need to hide this information from the saleswoman, but Rory just shot her a look. "You said yourself that you wanted to get married eventually."

"Yeah, eventually." Rory said. "We've never even mentioned the M-word. We're just trying to get through each day in one piece. There's absolutely no reason to try on a dress."

"But do you _want_ to try it on?" The sales lady asked sneakily.

"Yes. She would love to. Thank you Marie." Lena said before Rory could answer. Without saying another word, Marie had pushed Rory into a nearby dressing room.

"Here you go." She said as she handed the dress to Rory. When Rory walked out, Lena was silent. She watched as her friend just put a hand over her mouth. As soon as Rory stood in front of the mirror, she knew why. It was the perfect dress.

"I think I'm going to cry." Lena said. "And I'm the one who's supposed to be wearing the dress." Rory just smiled as she glanced in the mirror.

"It's the one." Marie agreed. "You can always tell." Rory's stomach was turning.

"It's lovely, but I'm not getting married." She reminded everyone, including herself. Just then, the saleswoman was off, chatting to someone behind the counter.

"Aren't you glad you tried it on?" Lena said. "God, I wish Tristan could see you."

"Are you kidding? This would send him running for the hills." Rory muttered. "He's just gotten himself back on his feet."

"Even so."

"Excuse me, would you mind if we took your picture for the designer? She always asks that we do if we think it's a good fit with the customer. She says it helps her design process."

"Um, sure." Rory said, completely unsure of herself.

"Thank you." Marie said. As soon as the picture was taken, and she had left again, Lena squealed.

"You. Dress. Now." Rory commanded to Lena, pointing to her own dressing room.

OOOOO

Tristan came home from work and was surprised to find that he had beat Rory. He hit the button on the answering machine to play the messages.

"Hey, it's me. I've tracked down this perfect interview so I'm not going to be back for supper." Tristan groaned. "I know, I know, you're going to have to fend for yourself. Order a pizza or something." He smiled at how well she knew him. "Expect me around eight. If anything changes, I'll give you a call. Love you. Bye." Tristan shook his head at his girlfriend's uncanny ability to make him smile while the next message beeped.

"Hi Rory, this is Adele Jackson. I designed the wedding dress that you tried on when you came into the shop on Saturday. I'm a big fan of yours and to hear that you tried on my dress was quite the thrill. Anyway, I saw the picture that Marie took of you in the dress and I have to say, even I was blown away by how well it fits you. I wanted to know if you might be willing to model it for our online and print catalog. It would be a professional shoot, but it should only take a few hours of your day. In return for your time, I would love to give you the dress. It clearly was made for you. You can call me back at the shop with your decision. Thanks!" Tristan replayed the message again. Rory had tried on a wedding dress? He glanced at the clock. It was going to be a long two hours.

OOOOO

Rory finally waltzed through the door at 8:15. It had been a long day and she was exhausted. Tristan was watching sports in the living room so Rory threw her stuff on the counter and listened to the messages on the machine. Hers had been deleted, but there was another one left. As she listened to the message, her panic began to rise. She watched as Tristan slowly came around the corner, a smirk on his lips.

"And people think that I'm with you for your brains." He said as she deleted the message.

"You heard that, huh?" She asked, knowing the answer was yes.

"Three times." He smiled as he held up three fingers. Rory sighed. "It must have been some dress. I can't wait to see the pictures."

"I'm not going to say yes." She said, tossing the thought aside. "Do I look like a model?" She asked.

"Yes. You do." He said. "I think you should do it."

"You're not going to ask why I was trying on a wedding dress in the first place?"

"Does it matter?" He asked.

"Of course it does! I don't want you to think that…" She stopped when she saw Tristan's amused eyebrow raised at her, deciding to not finishing her sentence. "Lena and I went into this store and the dress was in the window and the saleswoman was talking to Lena about it and Lena said it wasn't her style but that I would look great in it. The saleswoman and Lena teamed up and forced me to try it on. I did, thinking it would get them off my back. They were so enthusiastic about it, she took a picture to show the designer, who apparently was looking for catalog models." She took a deep breath. "I swear that I did it against my will." Tristan was finding this whole ramble entertaining, so he didn't stop her. "Say something." She finally said.

"Why don't you want to do it?" He asked. "It sounds like a pretty cool gig." She walked over to the dish-washer, desperate to find something to keep her occupied while they had this conversation. "Plus, you'd get a free dress out of the deal." He said.

"What am I going to do with a wedding dress?" She asked as she pulled out the clean dishes and put them away. When Tristan didn't answer, she turned around to look at him. "Oh God. We're going to have to talk about this now, aren't we? This is why I didn't tell you to begin with." She said.

"I don't know. We've never had the conversation before." He said, hopping up on the counter. Rory just continued to put dishes away. "Don't you want to get married someday?" He had had a two hour head start on what he was going to say, but Rory was caught off guard by his question.

"Yeah." She said. "Of course I do." She said as if it were obvious.

"Well, I didn't know. I know that you turned down someone before." Tristan didn't bother saying his name if he didn't have to.

"The concept of marriage wasn't the issue." She confirmed for him. "The timing was just wrong."

"Not the man?" Tristan couldn't resist saying.

"I don't know." Rory shrugged. "It just didn't work out." That didn't make Tristan feel very good. "How do you feel about marriage?" She asked, putting the pressure on him instead.

"I'm generally for it." He said. "While my parents were a waste of a marriage certificate, my grandparents were head over heels in love with each other, even fifty years after they tied the knot." He smiled. "The problem was always my job. Snipers don't get to have wives. I mean, it's one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and I spent all my time overseas. I guess marriage was one of those thoughts that had to get left behind." Rory nodded.

"Plus, there's that pesky 'I'm independent and refuse any sort of help' quality that you all have." Rory said with a smile. Tristan chuckled and nodded.

"Guilty."

"And now that you're just a regular, nine to five, working stiff like the rest of us?" Rory teased. Tristan smiled.

"I'm starting to see the allure of coming home to a house and a family each night. I've never had a place that I wanted to come back to before I met you. Now I can't wait to come home at night." He paused as he hopped off the counter and walked over to Rory. He took the plates out of her hands and set them on the counter.

"Wh…" She opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off by placing his finger on her lips. She was trapped by his eyes. They were home to the intensity that had terrified her in high school. Now, in adulthood, it was that same intensity that caused the burning sensation that would often flow through her entire body in special moments like this.

"Let me make this easy for you." He whispered as he let his finger caress her bottom lip briefly before he removed it. "I love you. And I don't want to spend my life with anyone else." She should have been more surprised to hear his admission, but she wasn't. A piece of her had always known that this relationship was something important. Tristan smiled at her silence, knowing that it was a rare feat to quiet Rory. If their roles were reversed she would have been begging him to say something in response, but Tristan preferred the silence. He wanted his words to sink in, to affect her the way that saying them was affecting him. He had just put all of his cards on the table, and he felt strangely good about it.

"I love you too, but I'm still not taking the dress." She said.

"Why not?" He asked too quickly. He was afraid of what the statement meant. Was she just being stubborn, or did she just not want to marry him?

"Who knows what will happen in the next six months." Tristan looked down at her face, now extremely confused by her statement. She released herself from his grasp. "I mean, we can't very well get married until the guys get home." She explained as she went back to her chore. "They have to be there. And I've put up with a lot from you in the past but I am drawing the line at getting married in a desert." She put the plates away, oblivious to Tristan's stare. He was shocked by how casually she had just given her explanation. Had she actually just agreed to marry him someday? Wasn't this the same girl who a few days ago would have willingly traded him for a cup of coffee? His heart was pounding through his chest.

"God, Mary, will you stop with the damn dishes?" He requested, causing her to turn around and stare at him.

"Okay." She said quietly, putting her hands in the air.

"Thank you." He said as he took a deep breath. He had lost his train of thought. "I'm sorry, what did we just decide?" He asked her, trying to clear his head.

"Well," She smiled. "I think we agreed that we love each other, and that we don't want to spend our lives with anyone else." She said, coyly.

"And?" He said, pushing her against the counter as he leaned into her.

"And…" She drew the word out, fighting the rather large smile that was tugging at her lips. "When you are ready to ask me," she paused, letting that fragment sink in, "I will be waiting with your answer." She said simply. Tristan closed his eyes as the elation roared through his body, sending his endorphins shooting up to his brain and clouding his thoughts.

"I don't know how you found me again, but God am I glad that you did." He said as he kissed her passionately.

OOOOO

This time, it was Rory who was around to answer the Skype call from the guys.

"Hey!" Rory said, as the two boys came into focus on the screen. She glanced at her watch. "What time is it there?" She asked, knowing that it had to be in the middle of the night.

"Never mind that. We just read an email from Tristan. Where is he?"

"It's Noon on a Tuesday. He's teaching." She said as if it were obvious. "Why?"

"Is it true that you two have been talking about making this whole set-up official?" Josh watched Rory's reaction as she blushed.

"I told him that I wouldn't be opposed, should he feel the need to ask. Why, what do you know that I don't?"

"We don't know anything, that's why we were calling. I mean, it's not like it's a huge surprise all things considered. But it's just, you know, our best friend deciding to get married." Rory smiled.

"We're not getting married. We're not even engaged. The subject was broached and we both agreed that we would like to be. S_omeday_." She emphasized.

"To each other." Drew added. "That's the most important part."

"Yes, to each other." Rory said. The boys looked at each other and shook their heads. This concept had clearly blown their minds. "If it makes you feel any better, I told him we had to wait until you guys could be there to be a part of it."

"Well, duh!" Josh said. "Who else is going to throw him the bachelor party of the century? We've been planning it for years. It's going to be epic." Rory laughed. "We just all assumed that Drew would be the first one to seriously tie the knot."

"What do you mean, seriously?" Rory inquired, knowing there was a story behind it. Drew laughed.

"Josh has almost gotten married in Vegas, twice." Drew smiled, holding up two fingers.

"I've got a thing for show girls." Josh explained. "And drinking." He paused. "And gambling. The point is," he paused to smile and point at the screen, "I never actually went through with it."

"The first time he passed out before getting to the chapel. The second time, a couple of the guys had to bar the door to his hotel room to keep him from escaping." Rory shook her head.

"Let me guess, the bachelor party of the century is going to be located in…"

"Vegas." They both said in unison. She nodded.

"I thought so." She sighed. "Well, as long as it's one of you two that comes back married and not Tristan, I'm perfectly fine with it." She smiled.

"Do you want us to do a little recon and find out when he's going to make a move?" Drew asked.

"Surprise is usually mandatory on things like this. Besides, I want him to know one hundred percent that he's ready for a commitment like that. I don't want to rush into anything. I'm not going anywhere." She told them before glancing at the door. "But if he mentions ring shopping…I'd be more than happy to send you some blueprints." She added with a mischievous glint in her eye.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Okay, EPIC fail on the updating this story. Long story short, after five years I think I'm finally running out of steam in the Trory department. This will be the last chapter and then there will be an epilogue. I don't believe that I'll be writing in the Trory world for a while after I finish Matchmakers. Unless of course, the muses strike me, which they have been known to do at their leisure. A HUGE thank you to everyone who has read this story and my others. You guys are the reason that I keep doing this and over the last five years, you've all brought me_ immense _joy. I cannot stress my appreciation enough, so thank you again and happy reading!

**This chapter is dedicated to tvgeek401 who gave me the seriously needed kick in the ass to get back on track with this story. You are awesome and I thank you. I hope that this doesn't disappoint.**

Four months later:

"Do you remember the first night we met?" Lorelei asked as she walked with Tristan down the sidewalk.

"How could I forget?" Tristan said.

"I asked you if you had plans to date my daughter and you pled the fifth." She said. Tristan laughed.

"I didn't anticipate us actually dating back then." He said honestly.

"I'm going to ask you again." Lorelei said.

"If I plan on dating your daughter?" Tristan teased. "It's a little late for that, don't you think?"

"When do you plan on marrying my daughter?" Lorelei said, stopping in her tracks to face him. Tristan smiled.

"Very soon." He said, causing Lorelei to grin. "If you can keep it a secret, I'd be very grateful. I'd like it to be a surprise."

"Moi? Keep a secret? Of course I can keep a secret." She said, smiling from ear to ear. "Do you have a ring?" She asked.

"Maybe." Tristan said, not revealing anything else.

"That's all I get? I'm your future mother-in-law, pal. I can make your life a living Hell! Haven't you ever seen Monster -in-law?"

"Do I look like someone who's seen Monster-in-law?" Tristan asked.

"Well, it says that I hold all the power." Lorelei fumbled, losing her steam. Tristan shook his head and chuckled.

"I didn't need a movie to tell me that one." He said. "You're the most important person in Rory's life and that will never change. I am grateful to even be considered for a second place finish. " He said honestly.

"Wow." Lorelei said as she started walking again. "I'm going to pretend that you actually meant all of that and you weren't just sucking up to avoid my tyrannical power." Tristan laughed. "Lesson One: Flattery, and coffee, will get you almost anywhere with a Gilmore."

"What about a helping hand in the proposal?" He asked.

"An offer like that could get you, oh, I don't know, my eldest child." Lorelei said.

OOOOO

"So you're actually going to do it then?" Josh said as Tristan pulled out the ring he had just bought a few days earlier.

"We've talked about it for the last six months. I'm ready. She's ready. It's time." Tristan said, knowing in his gut that he was right.

"I can't believe it." Drew said in wonder. "One of us is finally tying the knot." He said as he looked around at his best friends. "I would have never imagined it would actually happen."

"She has to say yes first." Tristan pointed out.

"She will say yes and then we can finally go to Vegas!" Josh said seriously. "I told her how important this was months ago. She'll say yes."

"Are you telling me that my girlfriend will accept my wedding proposal simply because you told her it would mean a lot to you to have a bachelor's party in Vegas?" Tristan asked, staring at his friend.

"Well, not simply…but she did understand." Josh said. "Right?" He looked at Drew for confirmation. He just shook his head, not wanting to get involved.

"Thanks." Tristan said sarcastically. Josh rolled his eyes. "No, really. I'm glad that I waited until you were back in the States to ask her."

"Come on. You couldn't have done this without us. You needed us here to run interference. Look at all of the distraction that we have provided for you. Rory thinks that you've been spending a lot of time with us helping us get settled into our new lives, not buying rings and hiding stuff at our apartments." Josh said. Tristan glanced over at Drew.

"He's a son of a bitch, but he's got a point." Drew said with a shrug.

"Hey!" Josh said. Tristan smiled and shook his head.

"It's true." Tristain said. "You really are." He told Josh.

"Great. Now that we got that settled, can we get back to what is really important?" Josh asked.

"Yes." Drew said.

"Thank you." He said with a nod. "Now where are we staying in Vegas?"

OOOOO

"Oh my God, we are so late." Rory muttered as she walked up the front porch steps. Tristan chuckled.

"Relax, Mary. It's just game night. I'm sure the Scrabble tiles aren't going anywhere."

"That's right. You've never been to a game night at our house. We make our own games." Rory informed her boyfriend.

"Really?"

"Really. And if she asks why we are late, we blame the snow." She said, knowing that would get anywhere with Lorelei. Rory knocked twice before walking into the house. "We're here!" She called.

"Rory? My long lost daughter?" Lorelei called out as she made her way down the stairs. "You made it! And," she paused "you're covered in snow!"

"It's the first snow of the season." Rory said.

"Magic!" Lorelei said wistfully.

"Mom thinks that snow is magical." She informed Tristan.

"Hey! Snow is magical. Good things always happen when it snows."

"Like what?" He asked.

"Here we go…" Rory said as she started to take off her jacket.

"My best birthday, my first kiss, Rory's birth and first steps, they all happened during snowfalls." Lorelei said with a smile. "Everything is so quiet and clean and white. It's like the whole world gets a clean slate."

"A fresh start." Tristan smiled and glanced at Rory.

"Exactly." Lorelei said.

OOOOO

"Okay, you know the rules. Sixty seconds. Home-made questions that could be about anything in our lives. You have to get five right to beat Luke and me." Lorelei smiled at her husband. "'Get to know a Gilmore: Special Danes/DuGray edition' begins….Now!" She said flipping over the sand timer.

"What did Luke make me for my 16th birthday breakfast?" Rory asked quickly.

"I don't know." Tristan said, looking at Luke. "Pancakes?" He guessed.

"Coffee cake." She said with a smile.

"What is the square root of pi?" Tristan asked her.

"1.77."

"Good." He said, impressed.

"Where have all the…. cowboys gone?" Rory said, re-reading the card to make sure that was the actual question. "Mom." She threw the card at her mother and picked up another one. "What is Luke's favorite pastime?"

"Working on his boat."

"Correct."

"Where is Lorelei's favorite place to hide money?" Tristan asked.

"Under the Rabbi." Rory said with a scoff, as if it were too easy.

"Yes." He said as she picked up another card.

"What is my favorite book?" She asked.

"What?" He asked, panicking. "Um, you love them all?" He offered.

"Correct answer: Emma, but your answer is acceptable." She said.

"Name something that Paul Anka is afraid of." Tristan asked.

"Peas." Rory said.

"Yes." She picked up the last card quickly.

"Will you marry me?" She said, reading the card quickly as if it were just another question. She was in such a rhythm from the game that it took Rory a second to realize what she had just asked him. She re-read the card before she glanced over at Lorelei.

"That one wasn't me." She said as she put her hands up.

"It certainly wasn't me." Luke said.

"It was me." Tristan said, a guilty smirk on his face. He reached out for her hand. "Ror," he started, "you said that when I was ready to ask you the question, you would have an answer for me." He smiled at her. "And I'm really hoping that the answer you had in mind is going to be yes." He pulled a box out of his pocket and opened it in front of her.

"Oh my God." She said, starting to hyperventilate.

"What do you say, Mary? Want to make this thing official?" He asked her. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat as she nodded.

"Yes!" She finally managed to get out as she threw her arms around him. He hugged her tightly. Lorelei glanced over at Luke, her eyes showing the emotion that she was feeling. He wrapped an arm around her and smiled. She had known that it was coming and yet it was still hard for her to see. Her baby was all grown up.

"I'm getting married!" Rory cried as she showed her mother the ring on her hand.

"Congratulations, kid." Lorelei said as she stood up and wrapped her arms around her daughter.

OOOOO

"It's still blizzarding." Rory informed her new fiancé the next morning as she peeked out the window of their room at the Inn. "We may be stranded here longer than we thought." She said as she tip-toed back to bed.

"I hope so." Tristan said honestly. "We need a little vacation from the city. Ooh…" He winced as Rory's cold toes hit his legs as she snuggled closer to him under the covers.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. You'll just have to stay in bed where it's warm." He said, that DuGray glint flashing in his eyes as he pushed her onto her back.

"Can't argue with that logic." She said as she put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him. He pulled away as he felt the cool metal of her ring on his face. Grabbing her hand to examine it once again, he couldn't help but smile.

"You know, I think Lorelei was right. Magical things do happen when it snows." He said as he turned his attention back towards his fiancé underneath him.

"Did you ask me because of the snow?" Rory asked.

"Did I want to marry you because it was snowing? No." He said as he shook his head. "Did I think that the snow might add the perfect ambiance to an already semi-planned proposal, yes. I had the ring for the last couple of weeks, but when your mom started talking, I knew that it would be the perfect time."

"It was." She said. "You've got a real talent for spontaneity."

"Someone in this relationship has to." He teased before leaning down to place a kiss on her collarbone. She tried to give him her best evil glare, but she was too happy for it to be truly menacing. Instead, Tristan just found it adorable. "Have I told you that I love you yet this morning?" Tristan asked.

"Not yet, no." She said.

"Well I do. I'm so ridiculously in love with you that I can't stop smiling and my cheeks are starting to hurt." He said.

"Good, because I feel exactly the same way." She told him. "And if you had asked me ten years ago when we had our first conversation that we would end up here, I would have never believed it." She said with a grin.

"I might have envisioned something along these lines." He said as he glanced down at her body. "Sans pajamas and a ring." He added with a smirk. "But to think about me getting to wake up every morning with you for the rest of my life?" He whistled. "I'm a very lucky man." Rory grinned.

"Speaking of lucky," Rory said as she ran her hands over his shoulders and behind his neck. "Why don't you join me in the shower before we head down for some of Sookie's famous breakfast?" She asked. "It will be nice and steamy in there on this cold, snowy morning." Tristan kissed her one last time before she climbed out of bed. He watched her from behind as she walked slowly towards the bathroom, knowing exactly what she was doing to him. He listened for the sound of rushing water and when he did, he counted to ten.

"Are you coming?" Rory called out.

"I'm not getting out from under these covers until the water is warmed up." Tristan said, being a total baby about the cold temperatures outside. "I've spent most of the last five years in a desert. I hate being cold."

"But I'm naked." Rory said bluntly.

"Be right there!" Tristan called as he jumped out of the bed and hurried towards the shower, losing his pajama pants as he went.

I ended the chapter with a naked, wet and glistening Tristan DuGray….No one can be upset after thinking about that scenario, can they? I hope it may even spur you on to clicking that little review button and letting me know what you thought. There is still an epilogue left for this and then on to Matchmakers, I promise!


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Okay, this is it. The final chapter of the story and the end to my 19th Trory. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, or followed it. I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it! Happy Reading!

Rory glanced down at her dress one more time, smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles as she waited for someone to come and get her. She had asked for five minutes alone right before the wedding so she would stop crying with her mother and friends long enough to prepare for what she was about to do. She smiled in the mirror as she imagined Tristan standing at the front of the church in his tux, fidgeting with his tie at that very moment.

A knock on the door startled Rory from her thoughts.

"Come in." She said.

"Everything okay in here? If not, there's still time for us to run away together."

"Everything's fine and if you tell Tristan differently I'm fairly certain he'll strangle you." Rory said as she turned around to face who she already knew was at the door. Josh whistled.

"They weren't kidding about that dress fitting you like a glove, were they?" He said as he ran his eyes up and down her dress. "You're sure you want to marry that bozo up front?"

"Very sure." She said with a smile. "But you've always been very charming, so if he ever dies…" Rory teased.

"I'll be the one sitting next to you at the funeral." Josh smiled. "You do look beautiful. Tristan is one seriously lucky man."

"It's your job as his best friend to keep reminding him of that fact."

"Deal." He said with a smile.

OOOOO

Two years later:

"We are not naming our son after some author that no one has ever heard of besides you and possibly Jess. There's no way." Tristan said adamantly.

"But it's unique!" Rory argued, causing Tristan to drop the paint roller in his hand immediately and turn around to face her.

"Since when has that _ever_ been a good thing when naming a kid?" He asked. "Are you trying to ruin his life before he's even born?

"Fine." Rory said as she went back to flipping through the baby name book in her hands. After a few more minutes, she tried again. "What about Samuel?" Rory asked, as she leaned the book back against her rather large belly.

"Samuel?" Tristan said, lowering the paint roller.

"Yeah. Samuel Masterson DuGray." She said the full name out loud. When they had found out they were having a boy, Rory wanted to include Josh and Drew's names into the naming of their son. After all, the pair had saved Tristan's life and had been consistently there for the couple over the past few years. One day, after many creative and usually hilarious attempts, Rory came to Tristan with the final result. She had put the two men's last names together, creating Masterson. They both decided that it would make a creative middle name for the soon to be Baby DuGray.

"It does have a nice ring to it." Tristan agreed.

"What do you think, are you a Sam?" Rory asked her stomach. She smiled. "Tristan." She said, standing up. "You just named your son." She said as she took his hand and placed it on her belly, where the baby was kicking. His smile lit up the room and she couldn't help but kiss him.

OOOOO

Five Years Later:

Tristan pulled into the driveway with a pounding headache and a strong desire to drink. He had had a terrible day, and to make it worse, it was only Monday. His week was just starting. He shut the garage door and walked into the house, which still smelled faintly like the dinner that he had missed almost forty-five minutes ago.

"Hey." Rory said as she shut the dish washer.

"Hey." He said back, too tired to continue the conversation past that.

"Are you hungry? There's still some pot roast left over, I could heat some up for you." He shook his head. Rory knew the face. "Come here." She said, pulling him close. With her arms around him, he felt better already. "Oh, Sam has something he wants to ask you."

"What?" He mumbled into her neck.

"Here." She handed him a home-made book made from printer paper and stapled at the edge. "He made it at school."

"My special friend?" Tristan read the cover as he flipped to the next page. Rory smiled as she sat down next to him at the table.

"_My special friend is my dad. He is really strong_." There was a stick figure with bulging arms drawn in crayon on the page.

"_He makes me pancakes cuz they are my favorit."_ Now there was a variety of brown circles that Tristan assumed were supposed to be pancakes on the page.

"_We like to play sports in the backyard." _Tristan smiled at the scribbled picture of a baseball and basketball.

"_I love my dad." _It said on the final page. Tucked inside the back cover was an invitation to Special Friends Day at Sam's school on Friday.

"He told me to give it to you if you came home while he was in the tub. Do you think you can go?" She asked. Tristan nodded.

"I wouldn't miss it."

"Good, he was really excited about it." Tristan stood up and kissed his wife.

"Thank you." He said.

"For what?" Rory asked.

"For giving me my son." She smiled as Tristan went off in search of Sam. As Tristan headed down the hallway, he couldn't help but smile as he heard splashing coming from the bathroom. Maybe it was a good idea that he was here and not Rory. He turned the corner and knocked on the door before entering.

"Hey buddy." Tristan said as he inspected the damage. "Getting into trouble?" He asked. Sam just looked around, not sure what to say.

"No?" He asked his father. Tristan just smiled and grabbed a towel to clean up the floor.

"What are you playing?"

"Battleship." He said politely, but briefly, choosing to ignore his father for his toys which he was currently splashing against one another.

"I got your invitation." Tristan said.

"Did you like it?" Sam asked, this time paying attention.

"It was the best." He said honestly. "I'm going to hang it on my bulletin board in my office."

"Really?" Tristan nodded. "Cool!"

"So what do we do at a Special Friends Day?" Tristan asked his son as he held up another towel for him.

"You come to school and we do fun stuff." Sam said, getting out of the tub. "Miss Rachel said there is going to be snacks."

"Who's Miss Rachel?"

"She's our classroom helper."

"I see." Rory listened to their conversation from the hallway and smiled. She had known that Tristan was going to be a good father, but she had no idea how great a dad he could be. She knew that he had been worried at first. With absent parents, he had no idea how to be a dad. But the second that Sam was placed in his arms, all of those fears seemed to melt away. Lately, Rory had been feeling like it would be nice to have a baby in the house again, but she hadn't broached the subject with Tristan.

"Your turn for story time." Tristan said, entering their bedroom. Rory nodded and headed for Sam's room.

"Hey buddy." She said. "You want me to read you a story tonight?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Did you pick one out?"

"Yep." He said, setting the book on the bed before jumping in and pulling the covers over him.

Rory re-emerged twenty minutes later. Tristan was watching the Monday night football game so she sat down silently next to him on the couch, wanting to just sit next to him for a minute.

"Sam in bed?" He asked.

"Yeah." She answered him absent-mindedly. He stopped to look at her.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing. I've just been thinking." She said.

"About what?" She shrugged, but he didn't give up that easily. "Come on, you can tell me." She figured with his comment earlier about giving him Sam, this would be the best time to broach the subject.

"Well, I was sort of thinking about what it would be like if we had more kids." She said simply, not really showing her opinion one way or the other. Tristan looked surprised.

"Do you want more kids?"

"I think we could handle it, if we wanted to try again. Sam's in school all day, so I would have the time and I don't know, I think it would be good for him to have someone else in the house."

"How long have you been thinking about this?" He asked, surprised by their conversation.

"I don't know, a couple months." She muttered.

"You should have said something." He said, rubbing the inside of her knee.

"Well, I didn't know if it was just my biological clock ticking. I am thirty-four." She said. Tristan chuckled at her worries over her old age. "But we always said that we wanted more kids when the time was right, and Sam is five now and I don't want him to be an only child like we were." Tristan looked deep in thought.

"It's up to you." He said. "You're the one that this is going to affect the most. If you're ready, then I am all for it. Another baby would be nice." He said.

"Really?" She smiled.

"Yeah." He said. "Did you really think I would say no?" She shrugged.

"I didn't know what you would think."

"I'm thinking, 'Let's go upstairs and get started'." He said with a smirk.

"I'm going to have to go off the pill first." She pointed out.

"Details." Tristan said with a shrug as he pushed her deeper into the couch.

OOOOO

Ten years later:

Tristan was livid. Sam sat on the couch as his father paced in front of him, back and forth, debating where to begin.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to get a call at three in the morning from your best friend telling you that your son is making out with his daughter in his backyard?" Tristan asked.

"We weren't making out. We just kissed." Sam tried to defend himself.

"So not the point." Rory muttered under her breath, trying to help her son out.

"You were grounded!" Tristan said. "You weren't supposed to be outside the house at all, let alone at three in the morning."

"But Dad, it was the only night of the meteor shower and I had promised Liv that we…"

"Don't even try to talk your way out of this." Tristan said. "You were grounded and you snuck out anyway. That is immediate grounds for at least doubling your former sentence. Head upstairs, I'll be up there in a minute." He said.

"Mom?" Sam asked for some back-up.

"Your dad is right." Rory said, leaving him hanging out to dry. "You can see Liv next month." He groaned as he turned around and trudged up the stairs. "Poor kid." She said as she turned her attention to her husband.

"What kind of kid sneaks out, while grounded, to make out with the only daughter of a sniper at three in the morning?" Tristan asked. Rory laughed.

"_Your _son." She said pointedly. "And Lorelei's grandson, now that I think about it." She added with a point of her finger. "You can't fight genetics."

"I wouldn't have even crossed that line." Tristan said. "I have always had a heavy respect for fathers with guns."

"Tristan, Drew is the least scariest dad that I know. Sam's practically named after the guy. Plus, he and Liv have been inseparable for most of their lives, you had to have known that there was a possibility of this happening. She's the girl next door."

"He's fifteen." Tristan said.

"Exactly. Do you need a reminder of what you were doing at fifteen?" Rory asked. "At least you're going through this with a son first. Elle is only nine. You'll be well-versed by the time she's caught in the backyard with a boy." Rory teased. "Hey, Zack is only a year or two older than her." Tristan shuddered.

"Don't even think about bringing that up." He said. "The last thing I need to be thinking about right now is Josh's son anywhere near my baby girl."

"Hey, every 'baby girl' goes through a mandatory bad boy phase. Although, we Loreleis do seem to make bigger mistakes out of ours. If Elle has to go through one, it might as well be with someone you can keep an eye on."

"I'm going to pretend that I never heard you say that." He said as he started up the stairs to talk to Sam.

"Karma, baby. You can run but you cannot hide." She said with a smirk as she watched her husband disappear from view.


End file.
